Reddit mentions of Nick Malgieri's Perfect Pastry: Create Fantastic Desserts by Mastering the Basic Techniques

The first one I had was Nick Maglieri's Perfect Pastry which I really can't recommend highly enough if you're learning fundamentals. Then shortly thereafter I received Baking with Julia as a gift and that's a pretty great resource, too, albeit not as comprehensive.

EDIT: I didn't get her stuff until later, but I also recommend getting something by Dorie Greenspan. She has several amazing baking books. Her Baking and Baking Chez Moi are both excellent.