No problem. As I mentioned, I really recommend the Beard. You may want to flip through them at the store and see which one seems more your style.
Also, all three books I recommended are extremely "old school" - like, 50+ years old. That said, people have been cooking for thousands of years, so I don't see any harm in having the same cookbook on your shelf that your grandma used.
Anyway, grandma's cooking is the best, right? 
Seriously, though, I find that most modern cookbooks are focused on glossy food photography and chefs showing off how "cool" they are by using more and more obscure techniques and ingredients - for a cornerstone cookbook and getting your bearings in the kitchen, the classics are where it's at.
Aside: for Japanese cooking, my first cookbook was the one used by my HS students in their home economics class - I found that it gave easy-to-follow recipes with minimal ingredients and clear instructions for lots of traditional Japanese dishes. 
Head to your local library- Most libraries have a pretty impressive span of cookbooks. Some are more useful than others (The French Laundry cookbook, for instance, is practically uncookable. Unless you wanna make yoru own CHLOROPHYLL). But like Patel said, just start cooking. I never, ever have been able to understand people who can't cook. You just open the book and follow the directions.
That said, you'll need some shit. The #1 enthusiasm killer in cooking is equipment. Nothing is more of a bummer than finding a recipe you like, reading in 3 steps and getting to: "Pull out your food atomizer and atomize the chicken".
I'm going to suggest some basic kitchen equipment you should have:
MUSTS:
A reliable chef's knife. One good knife does the job of 10 shitty onces. My Wuhstof set me back about a 100$, but it's easily my most used piece of equipment. With this comes a primer on knife skills:
Watch that. Learn how to hold a knife correctly (Btw. thumb and index finger). If possible, take a 101 class at a local upscale grocer. But learning to hold a knife correctly is the foundation of everything else. LET THE KNIFE DO THE WORK, the more "muscle" you put into it, the more likely you are to injure yourself.
Some kind of food processor. You can get a low-end Cuisinart for around 30,40 bucks. There are occassions in which you are going to need to blend something or chop a hard cheese and this will make your life 700 times easier.
An immersion blender- AKA, blender on a stick. You can get a cheap one for 10-15 bucks. Salad dressings, soups and sauces will all be your bitch. One less dirty dish, washes clean in seconds.
Nab yourself a microplane. These are down to 10-15 bucks, you'll need it for zesting citrus fruits and grating some spices.
With those 3 tools you've just earned the ability to change the texture and presentation of foods in millions of ways. You'll run up against situations in which you wish you had more esoteric tools (Mortar and pestle, garlic press, pizza stone)- but get those if you think you're really going to need them.
Next, you need to set up a pantry, a stock of common spices and ingredients that you'll come back to again and again. If you have free space START GROWING HERBS. Herbs are retardedly expensive at the grocery. For what you pay for a single package of basil, you can get yourself a basil plant that you can use all year long. Growing herbs is not difficult, they just need water and SOME sun. Just don't crowd them all in one pot. I grow Basil, Rosemary, Thyme and Sage. I think I got all 4 plants for around 12 or 15 dollars.
Outside of fresh herbs, my holy spice squadron: Cumin, Coriander, Red Pepper Flakes, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Sesame Seeds, ground cinnamon, WHOLE NUTMEG (Don't get the pre-ground shit). Outside of that, only buy what you need. Spices are expensive and having them just to have them adds up.
Other pantry needs: Olive oil, a neutral oil (Canola, Vegetable) for dressings/frying/whatevers, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegars (Balsamic, Rice, Red and White wine and Apple Cider, but get them as you need them)
I do a lot of bread baking, so I always have a few flours on hand and keep cornmeal in stock- Awesome for polenta or muffins.
With this, you're probably ready for the world of cooking. So let me make a few suggestions: Make yourself a weekly menu. I spend about an hour on FoodGawker.com every week looking for things are easy to make and look great. This way when I go to the market/grocery, I know EXACTLY what I need and I'm not being distracted by things I think I might want to eat.
Find a Farmer's Market. AAA++ produce at reduced prices. Plus, you're only using what's in season. Part of the joy of cooking is remembering how good squash is in the winter or the graceful sweetness of TriStar Strawberries. Savor the act!
I think Patel suggested some good books, but they can also be a bit imposing. I'd like to suggest the "Best American Recipes..." books that are published (I think) annually. They're all super simple recipes, pretty easy prep and they use flavors in a really intuitive way.
Once you've been cooking for awhile you'll find yourself at dinner one night looking over a recipe and going, "This is missing lime zest" or "Oh, this could use a basil syrup". You'll start to understand how things taste and how they compliment one another. Don't be afraid to start slow, but when you eat, think about the things you put in and how they're working together. It'll be like Ratatouille.
