Im not a fan of proper instruction books for beginners. They all seem to suffer from the same problem after the first few pages (how to hold, how to fret, how to use a pick) - boring songs or songs the player has never heard.
I've seen the best success when a beginner learns songs they already know well. Songs they like to sing in the car or the shower. You don't need a "real" instruction book for that.
So here is what I would recommend:
1) A basic chord chart - like one of the pocket books, or even a pamphlet style. The internet works too... you could just print the basic "first position" chords out.
2) One of those "songs of the 60's... " books or 70's or 80's you get the idea. As long as its compilation of songs in the genre he likes, and from an era he knows, even if it's just one band he loves - it'll work. Whatever he likes to listen to, so he'll know how the songs are supposed to sound. If it has the chord shapes at the top - it's better than any beginner book out there because he'll like to play the song...
Eventually he'll be looking up songs on his own online anyway, but giving him some cool songs to start and the basic chord shapes is a good way to keep interest and get some basics down.