I'm really enjoying Michael Freeman's "The Photographer's ..." series (Eye, Mind, and now Vision).
Yes, there is a need for books explaining the basics of shutter speed, aperture, depth-of-field, film/sensor sensitivity etc. However, in my opinion, the last thing the world needs is yet more books covering these topics. Unfortunately, many photographic authors/publishers seem to disagree. They end up producing books with what good original content there is watered down by reams of pages about how (for instance) telephoto lenses are good for wildlife and wide-angle lenses for exaggerating perspective.
So three cheers - and five stars - to Michael for eschewing this trend and producing a series of books that covers the creative, rather than technical, dimension of photography. This is more difficult to do as an author, but results in books being equally useful for both beginner and advanced photographers. This book expands the audience even further by helping non-photographers increase their appreciation of the art and what its masters have created over the past century and a half.
Even though Freeman has produced some great images over the decades, I particularly like that in this book he uses - and comments on - the work of others including such greats Paul Strand, Elliot Erwitt and Jeff Wall.