The Everyman Chess Starting Out series can be very good. They tend to give a good basic introduction to an opening. There are also available in chessbase format, which I like as you can flick through the lines with the scroll of a mouse wheel.
I have Starting out books on c3 Sicilian, Scotch opening, Caro-Kann, Queens Gambit Declined, and the Scandinavian . I like them all, although the Scandinavian is a bit more heavy duty than the rest of the series. Apparently sometimes the quality of them can be variable (see chesscafe for book reviews).
Generally speaking, which book series is best for delving deeply into a specific opening (e.g., Queen's Gambit, King's Indian, etc.). I have heard a few names thrown out there: Everyman, Move by Move, Grandmaster Series, etc.