I'd very strongly and fervently recommend
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. Here is the link to amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-.../dp/0817439390
You can go through the book in one sitting. There isn't a lot of reading and if anything, it looks like a kid's book because it uses a relatively large font. But it does a great job of explaining the basics of photography as well as examples of how you would shoot in different circumstances.
What subjects are you interested in shooting?