Several years ago I purchased Combat Handugnnery by Chuck Taylor. It covered the basics of choosing a handgun, shooting, defensive tactics, and how to properly choose a CCW system. A new updated edition of the book, written by Massad Ayoob is now available from Krause Publications. Ayoob is the founder of Lethal Force Institute, and is widely respected in the firearms industry as solid teacher and expert witness.
The updated version of the book is a great read, and can be found in most major bookstores. If you are new to handguns or considering expanding your knowledge on their use you should check out the book. Ayoob covers everything from the basics to CCW and Open Carry. You will definitely enjoy the read and be better becuase of it.