I was a little horrified to realize that I'm coming up on 3 dozen woodworking books on my shelf, below. ($500 worth of books??) Anyhow, the subject of good books for new folks comes up here a fair bit, so I thought I'd give my two cents on the subject and maybe inspire others to do the same.
My ground rules:
-- I wanted a list of the most helpful books for a beginner, not the best WW books or even my favorite WW books. (Although I couldn't resist giving that too at the end.)
-- I only included books I've actually read. That leaves out a gazillion books including many of the classics.
-- I assumed that most beginners lean toward power tool woodworking rather than hand tools. My list would definitely be different for someone who knew from the get-go s/he wanted to go neander.
-- I've said it here many times, but I'll say it again: the SMC archives have been the single most helpful resource for me, far more than any book.
My Picks:
1. Small Woodworking Shops, FWW. This little book covers a lot of ground - what tools to buy, how to lay out your shop, dust collection, lighting, and a lot more. Nothing fancy, but for me it was invaluable.
2. Workbenches, Schwarz. A mind-bogglingly good book about the most important tool in your shop. Fully lives up to its sub-title: "From design & theory to construction & use."
3. Understanding Wood, Hoadley. I suspect this book would make more woodworkers' "top 5 books you need" lists than any other. Wood moves, and different woods move differently, and this book explains it all, simply at first and ultimately with more detail than my poor brain could handle.
4. Measure Twice, Cut Once, Tolpin. Straightforward coverage of the basics of project design, which tools you need for marking and measuring, and how to use them. Does more showing than telling, which I like.
5. Popular Woodworking magazine subscription. Okay, this is cheating, but it is what I'd recommend for a beginner. Every issue I've seen is filled with invaluable info that covers a lot of ground -- technique, finishing, reviews, projects, and a balance of power and hand tool material. It's about to merge with its sister publication Woodworking, and I predict it's only going to get better.
And my five favorite WW books:
1. Workbenches, Schwarz. Blows the doors off the Landis book, IMHO.
2. Handplane Essentials, Schwarz. Blows the doors off the Hack book, IMHO.
3. The Perfect Edge, Hock. Blows the doors off the Lee book, IMHO.
4. Understanding Wood, Hoadley. Doors firmly affixed.
5. Woodworking with the Router, Hylton. An odd choice for me since I rarely use a router, but its just a great book.