There are animated online sites that explain stitches. Try stitchguide.com

here's another good one with videos - Continental & English

Here is a link that might be useful: Knitting Help

If you want a book, the Teach Yourself Visually books are very good. They have several for different ones, Yoga, dog training etc. I love mine ...Teach Yourself Visually, Knitting & Crocheting. by Wiley Publishing.

I really like the videos at knitting help ath profsusan mentioned. I have the embarassingly titled "I Can't Believe I'm Knitting!" book at home (was the exclamation point really necessary?).

Easy to find at Michael's or similar and I find the illustrations fairly easy to follow.

But more than that, is there a yarn shop in your community? A lot of the time, it is easier to see some of these things in action and ask a real live person for help. Most dedicated yarn stores are staffed by experienced knitters who are willing to talk a newbie through the basics.

Here is a link that might be useful: craftfetish blog

i never get it right from instructions in a book.
almost always end up going to the yarn store for help.
and as stupid as this sounds i think i'm going to need to go there to get yarn overs thuroughly explained.
they always come out different each time i do them.
diggerb

I've found this book very helpful:
"The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques" by Nancie M. Wiseman. In addition to the contents, the book is spiral bound which lets it lay flat, instead of flopping shut at the most inconvenient time.
I also purchased it as a gift for my best friend and she likes it too.

May I also suggest that you search out a Knitting Guild or group? I found a Guild through my local yarn shop and even though we've both been knitting for 40 years each, we learn something new each and every time we attend the 'meeting'.!! Sometimes from a rep or speaker, but always from another knitter.