I picked up "The Digital Photography Book" by Scott Kelby a few months back and just got around to reading it.

It is a very entertaining read with lots of good tips for improving your photographs. Plus, if you are a beginner it is not overly complex in its explanations.

Most of the stuff is geared to SLR's, but the technical bits (f-stop, ISO, shutter speed) apply to point and shoot too, so anyone can get some benefit from it. If you like the "scientific" style of learning things meaning all the hows and whys then this might be a bit simplistic, but if you want to know quickly how to take a picture with the subject in focus and the background blurry this is a pretty good book.

I think the biggest lesson from reading it. I learned is "use a tripod".

 

i think that really depends on the photos you want to take. tripods help out definitely but when i got to south beach to take pictures of life. i am not carrying around a tripod i want to take quick pics.

 

You are absolutely correct it depends on what type of pictures you want to take...typically it is better ones. Currently I just use a point and shoot Canon, but if I can I brace myself on something or use the self timer and place the camera on a flat surface (fence, tree stump, picnic table, roof of my truck, whatever is handy) I do so to eliminate me from messing up picture.

I'd use a tripod, but most of my shooting this year was done during bicycle rides.

Obviously you are not going to use one all of the time, but a steady platform is very important.