For the self-taught novice, Dreamweaver MX can be both delightfully user friendly and infuriatingly confusing.
Joining Macromedia's own MX manual, a number of other available MX user guides adorn my workstation shelves.
After a number of weeks trying to sort out the pros and cons of just when and how to use the FRAMES, TABLES AND LAYERS features, I had the good fortune to come upon David Karlins',blessedly clear explanations,in his "...Idiot's Guide...." From my point of view, as a newbie designer, this work's enduring value is that, not only are the fundamentals clearly explained, but insights,tips, cautions and introductions to more advanced capabilities are included. He also presents important introductions to Macromedia's Fireworks and Flash interfaces. Read this first, then your owners manual.