i Found that one a bit hard going for a newbie. It was the first book i had on photoshop and and as a complete novice, i found it tough work.
I later got the much raved about photoshop cs2 by scott Kelby, which is basic but suited my understanding of photsohop, its good for quick fixes and gives simple tutorials on basic editing techniques. Theres a lot it doesnt cover though, if your looking to do something more general.
I still havent found a book that is perfect, but Kelby is a good place to start. Evenings book is one i will try and come back to once i have the basics of Ps clearer in my head, but even then i dont think it will be easy to read.