Having been around Windows as long as Windows has been around, I know that I need two books on Windows Vista.
First I want something quick and easy. Something that will give me the overview that tells me simple things like, 'what version do I want.' Vista comes in five main versions: Basic, Premium, Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate. A quick glance on pages 18 & 19 tell me I need the Business version.
Microsoft always throws in a bunch of new things just when you aren't expecting it. Vista, for instance, comes on a DVD, not a CD. I don't watch movies on my PC's, and they were constructed for business, not entertainment. So to use Vista, I've got to buy at least one DVD drive -- RATS. And this AeroGlass things seems to require high end graphics. How do I turn that off to work with low end graphics cards -- see page 376. Parental control, no kids here. Anyway you get the idea.
This Dummies book is exactly what I need to get through these kinds of problems. It is easy to read, easy to find what you need, quickly tells you how to do simple things like turn off parental controls.
The second book I'll need is something more complex, when you have a question like, 'how many open web sessions can Vista/Bussiness have' don't expect to find it in this book. Most likely I'll get Windows Vista Inside Out. It will cost at least double, have three times as many pages, and be much harder to find things.
Start with this one. With it you can get started quickly and begin to find where your real problems are.