I am taking a series of courses on the Adobe CS3 design programs. These books are the required texts.
I am extremely pleased with the content and support they provide for me to learn the programs.
They are a mix between "techbook" and "textbook" - they are NOT as dry as other technical manuals, yet cover "just enough" material to help out in a tight spot.
There may be other books that other reviewers prefer, however I wish to point out that they are titled "QUICK START" guides, not "every single thing you need to know about this piece of software" guide.
If you are trying to learn the software on your own, might I suggest the Adobe Press "Classroom in a Book" series. Also the Adobe Press "Real World" book series gives insights into the software that these quick start guides do not. If you are learning with a teacher, these books fit the bill.