Just wanted a book

Last night I went to the local Barns & Nobel outlet to look for one I repeat one good book on chess. I was hoping to find one that would help my game. After standing there for perhaps twenty to thirty minutes, staring at three shelves crammed with books on chess. I went home without not only a book but completely confused. I found books for my Opening Game, my Middle Game and my End Game. By purchasing other books I could have been taught and coached by Bobby Fisher himself as well as a hand full of Grand Masters. I even read where if by purchasing this one book I could play like a Grand Master! Wow that easy buy the book and be a Grand Master! They had books for dummies and books for Grand Masters. Books with one hundred pages to a book with well over one thousand pages. Chess diagrams, problems, tactics and various ideals. Page after page of complete confusions as far as I could see. I stood there alone thinking that if I had the time, but I do work, and if I had the money, yes I do work. I could read them all and well MAYBE play a little better. 

Can any one help me? Is there one book that would and could help a player become better, without being a Grand Master or a graduate from "MIT"?