KISS Guide to Playing Guitar

Rating:
Summary: Don't buy It!
Review: This book's content is very poor. The theory is hard to understand, not to mention POINTLESS in the way that the author TRIES to teach it. The order in which the techniques are explained don't even make sense to me now that i am no longer a beginner guitar player. Other than being very popular and having attractive pictures, The KISS Guide to 'Playing' Guitar teaches you NOTHING worthwhile. A beginner using this book will learn how to tune the guitar, play some simple chords, BUT other than that, they will still remain a beginner after they finish this book. The internet is actually is better resource for tuning the guitar and playing simple chords than this. For quality method books that ACTUALLY teach you how to play look into the authors: Troy Stetina, Jamey Andreas, Fred Sokolow, and John Ganapes, but absolutely STAY away from books like these.

Rating:
Summary: A very good guitar book
Review: This is a very good step by step book, leading you through each stage of development. I have a few othe books that will teach you a few basics, then make a huge jump into the middle of theory with little explaination. The CD has several helpful tracks including several examples played for you, background tracks, and even provides examples of several effects for electric guitar to give you an idea of what they are like and which you might really want. Overall an excellent starter book.

Rating:
Summary: This book and CD combo really improved my performance
Review: This was by far the clearest, most logical introduction to guitar that I've ever read -- and trust me, I have a library full of books on the subject! I also liked that the book discusses all the various styles of playing guitar, including jazz, classical, blues, etc. I wish this book had been published back when I first bought my guitar -- I'd have had an easier time learning the basics!