The "Starting Out" series are all good, at least the ones I've seen. They aren't intended to be complete treatises on any opening, but guides for the beginner to decide what may or may not be suitable to their style.
Opening study is highly overdone and overrated. Over the board, in class play, "best book lines" are almost never played past three to five ply. A lot of good players go with inferior stuff, just to get a booked up guy off his game. A huge percentage of tournament games are won or lost in the tactical complications of the middlegame.
The problem with investing a lot of time on 3. Bc5 is that if you get to play it 10% of the time you're quite lucky, and then half may choose two knights.
Playing 3. Bb5 is worse yet. So many variations, so much theory. All that can be avoided by substituting 2. f4 for 2. Nf3.
Another solid choice on move three is d4. The Scotch game yields equality pretty quickly, but is lively tactically on both sides, and offers gambiteers after 3....exd4 4. c3 as an option.
Building a suitable opening repitoire may be one of the areas in which a coach or tutor is most useful. Such a person will be able to objectively evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, something most people can't do on their own reliably.
Originally posted by normbenignI like your suggestion of 2.f4 - wins every time.
The problem with investing a lot of time on 3. Bc5 is that if you get to play it 10% of the time you're quite lucky, and then half may choose two knights.
Playing 3. Bb5 is worse yet. So many variations, so much theory. All that can be avoided by substituting 2. f4 for 2. Nf3.
Another solid choice on move three is d4. The Scotch game yields equ ...[text shortened]... evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, something most people can't do on their own reliably.