I briefly perused the pages on file at amazon, not a bad choice--I think you'll be ok with that. Personally, I have a major bias toward bread books in general: It usually takes you about two weeks to make your first loaf! (they want you to make a starter, use a poolish or biga, advocate fresh yeast over dry-active blah blah blah). Eventually, you will WANT to make these breads that take two weeks to get started (mainly because you need to develop your 'ferment'), but what about the meantime? Do they want you to starve--emotionally and physically? It may BE possible to live on bread alone, but without it? C'MON!!!
Here's what I always suggest:
First, go with your instinct!!
You know what you need (want) to learn, right?
Then, if you want a second opinion here it is:
For the begginer--intermediate home cook, for pretty much fail-safe breads. The Tassajara Bread Book For the intermediate--adventerous professional and home cook
My personal favorite by the way is
The Village Baker Bread Alone Nancy Silverton's Breads from the La Brea Bakery And finally, for the complete maniac-psycho-bread baker Le Gout de Pain Special and Decorative Breads Guide de l'amateur du pain
Once again, my favorites are
The Village Baker--a classic, easy to understand, only-bread-book you will ever need (though I have three; The Village Baker, Nancy Silverton's and one by Amy Scherber of Amy's Breads in New York).
Le Gout de Pain by Raymond Calvel--He is to bread, what Hydrogen is to Water, a good follow up book to Ortiz's the village baker once you've learned the basics.
Good luck with your Quest.
Enjoy the Holidays,
flash