I bought this book and the book called "Good Owners, Great Dogs" by Brian Kilcommons. The Kilcommons book is very good. It is probably the best "traditional" training book there is available. Very thorough and insightful. I've raised a number of dogs in my life - well, let's say they grew up with me - the training part was more the dog training me than me training the dog.
HOWEVER... This 'Idiots guide' on 'Positive Dog Training' is a breakthrough book for me. There are likely others that teach this similar method, but the organization of the book and the practical advice for "real life" won me over. The sheer logic of the book will make you question your earlier 'wisdom' especially when the author successfully identifies the results of some of your earlier training efforts. The "idiots" book is my clear winner. I bought it with skepticism, and now I'm an absolute convert. In one day, with a 9 week old puppy, day two away from mom, using cheese, lots of praise, ignoring her when she wouldn't walk, she was walking steadily beside me - no pulling forward or back. Scents and distractions aside, I was in shock. When I first put the collar and the leash on her, she acted like she was being led to slaughter. Yelping, screaming, doing flips to get away. I ignored the behavior and her, waited until she stopped. When she stopped, I praised her immediately. One more "partial episode" and that behavior stopped. After one day, she responds to my call to "come" almost every single time. In the first day - this is not normal for me...
Anyway, buy three copies of this book, one for you, one for your family, and one for the neighbor that knows all the answers about training a dog.