One of my parents gave me this book when I moved into my first apartment at age 19, and it was a godsend. Back then we couldn't ask the Internet simple questions like "how long does it take to hard boil an egg?" The book made no assumptions about cooking knowledge, and provided nearly foolproof recipes that saved my ass more than once.

When my 19yo son texted me recently to ask "what can I do with potatoes besides bake them?", I realized he needed a copy of the book, too--but it's no longer in print :( . I didn't want to give him mine, but I was able to find one on eBay that will be making its way to him soon.