The Official Ubuntu Book

Great starter book for newbies like me to Ubuntu and Linux in general. Comes with two CDs, one has the desktop version of ubuntu for trial/installation and the other is a server disc. I really liked reading the history of the project and about their philosophy. It's by nature and incomplete text, but it's a great starting point for installation and getting your feet wet - particularly if you're worried about not being able to access the internet while you're installing/troubleshooting. There is tons of free info online that covers the same thing, but having it in hand during the first few days was immeasurably helpful to me.