The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide 
What exactly is a slope? What's the difference between a tile and a plate? Why is it bad to simply stack bricks in columns to make a wall? The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide is here to answer your questions.
Focusing on building actual models with real bricks, The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide comes with complete instructions to build several cool models but also encourages you to use your imagination to create your own fantastic creations.
Inside, you'll learn:
The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide also includes the Brickopedia, a visual guide to nearly 300 of the most useful and reusable elements of the LEGO system, with historical notes, common uses, part numbers, and the year each piece first appeared in a LEGO set.
The firm foundation for your LEGO hobby starts here!
Reviews
The reviews I read prior to purchase led me to believe that it would be a good book for our Lego builders.
I wish there was something else in between besides Lego contraptions (by Klutz) and this book.
This book reads well and serves as a handy refence tool because of the 57 page Brickopedia.On the whole it helps to remind you that lego encorages you to think outside the box and to come up with new ways to use that same set of bricks.
My favorite chapter is 6 Microscale Building. All the chapters have a overview then the author takes you into steps for producing that type of projects. Chapter 6 has the Empire State Building as the design & build project.
The design grids are very very useful for planing that next buying spree at one of the brick sites.
To finish I really love this book.