I recommend Jeremy (I think) Silman. He’s got a book called something like the Amateur Mind. Four or five years ago my lunchmate and I decided to start playing chess. I hadn’t played since I learned the rules of the game as a kid. Within months the two of us were playing a game a day. After a few months, we decided to study a bit. Silman’s book was great to get started, and within 12 to 18 months of online chess play, my rating is up over 1500. I’m playing better than 60% to 70% of the people out there. I like to think that means I can beat almost 3 of 4 players who take it seriously. Not bad! It’s a great game. A bit of study never hurt anyone. Enjoy!