I think the suggestion to find a local group to ride with is probably the best one.
Friel's Training Bible is great, but it isn't a beginners book. I read it when I first started riding and all it did was confuse me. My assessment after the first time reading it was that I needed to quit my job and divorce my wife and devote my life to cycling to be decent. I re-read it a year later and it was much more helpful.