Most chess opening books are either too detailed or too shallow.  Chess Opening Essentials has exactly the right balance and is an accessible primer and a reference book at the same time.  It gives a flavor of how every opening works and points at the various middlegame plans that apply after the opening has ended.

Chess Opening essentials helps beginners to develop a solid understanding of fundamental opening ideas, gives casual players the ability to choose the opening that suits their style and taste and is a tool for club players to test and review their opening repertoire as well as a reference book to which advanced players keep returning.

The authors do not propagate forcing tactical variations to be memorized mechanically, but explain what you should actually be trying to achieve when playing the opening of your choice.  They include the main alternative responses and give clear indications for further study.