Here are a few guitar books I recommend:
Suzuki Guitar School Vol. 1 by Shinichi Suzuki: For parents looking to get their kids started with a solid foundation, this book can be a great resource. It’s focus is more on the formal/classical style of playing (although it includes several well-known folk and kids songs like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “Are You Sleeping, Brother John?”), rather than rock/pop/blues/country/jazz. If you’re looking for a curriculum that teachers classical technique, good fundamentals, and standard notation reading, I recommend checking out this book and its accompanying CD.
101 Guitar Tips: Stuff All the Pros Know and Use by Adam St. James: This thin book is full of quick, to-the-point guitar tips and exercises that cover a wide range of useful information. I like this book because the exercises are quick and easy, and yet cover a lot of essentials for playing well.
The Electric Guitar Handbook by Alan Ratcliffe: This is an excellent book for anyone new to the electric guitar. It doesn’t cover playing, or technique, but instead gives a great overview of the history, types, sounds, and uses of the electric guitar. It gives information on everything form audio cables to performing live.
The Guitar Grimoire series, by Adam Kadmon: These books (or tomes) aren’t for the faint-hearted. They are incredibly thorough encyclopedias of exercises and theory, so you need to have a lot of motivation and discipline to stick with them. But if you do, other guitarists better watch out.
The Everything Home Recording Book by Marc Schonbrun: This Everything Series book is a great place to start for anyone looking to start recording. Recording and mixing are arts in and of themselves, but this book will introduce you to the fundamentals without getting lost in hardcore acoustical and electrical engineering. All of the fundamentals, lots of trade tips, plenty of troubleshooting, advanced sections, budgeting advice, and even a chapter on starting a business with your own home studio. A+.
For the Handy and Technically Inclined:
How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great by Dan Erlewine: A great book on DIY set-up, maintenance, and care by a professional luthier. If you enjoy DIY, this book can save you on adjustment and repair bills.
Guitar Electronics for Musicians by Donald Brosnac: If you ever wondered how guitar electronics work, want to install pickups on an acoustic, or want to hotrod your electric, this is a great place to start.