I bought my first real cookbook last week on Amazon.com, Bo Friberg's "The Professional Pastry Chef" 3rd Edition. I've bought a couple of those Ethnic Recipe cookbooks you see on sale for $2 outside of Borders and Barnes & Noble, but they're very specific and not very comprehensive. There's also a Better Homes and Gardens Book around here that I use a lot, but its not mine, and I didn't buy it either.
Friberg's book is about 1200 pages long, and has literally hundreds of recipes for desserts, pastries, breads, etc. They are also accompanied by step-by-step instructions on how to create the masterful presentations, and the chemistry, history, and sanitary concerns for your ingredients, equipment, and workspace. Alot of the the techniques are advanced, but Friberg makes them achievable to even amateurs, provided they have the right ingredients, equipment, and a bit of patience and willingness to learn about what they're making. I've had this book for only about 4 days, and I can't seem to put it down!! Great book for anyone that loves desserts, breads, and pastry, and creating some masterul, delicious, and beautiful creations in your kitchen.