As a writer of a book for beginners, strangely i agree. I've seen very few tutor books that work well, and the tuition stuff is available online. At their worst, they tend to be rigid and I think new players need to relax and find their own style. Loads of free web resources, grab some chord sheets and chords to simple songs, read up on basics and move on.
The book I wrote was for exactly the above reason - it wasn't a tutor book, it was a handbook or owners guide dealing with the other stuff like how to buy one etc.
Once you've got on with basics, I think theory books have some place, but nothing better than a paid for tutor or playing with others for free.
