Gary Regan's "The Joy of Mixology" is full of useful information for a
burgeoning bartender. The recipes are only about a third of the book, the
more valuable section is his discussion of what makes a good bartender, little
things that make you appear more polished and knowledgeable. While there is
no substitute for experience, I found several things in this book that I used
at work, that increased my awareness of something. Experience is great, but
you could do the same thing every day without actually improving your
knowledge. I'd say this book is a good primer for someone looking to get
behind the bar.