Pollack is one of the best.

I like this book for its simpleness but it does offer a great deal of information. Pollack knows her stuff--i would love to pick her brain as far as tarot knowledge goes. ( )

Introduction: What is Tarot?
The 78 cards of the Tarot have lived many lives in the 600 years that they have known them - a card game played by the Italian nobility, works of art, allegories of moral teachings and philosophy, inspiration for novels and films, coded systems for magic and esoteric wisdom, garteways for meditation, and much more. Mowsst of all, however, we know the Tarot for its use in divination. Divination is the quest for surpernatural knowledge of the past, present, and future. Many methods of divination have been utilized by different cultrues throughout the centuries, and cartomancy, or use of the cards for fortune-telling, dates back many centuries. It was in the late 18th century, however, that the use of Tarot cards for divination became widespread. We now use Tarot readings in an attempt to understand ourselves better and maybe even discover the future.
What I know is to write down your reading. So you can refer back on it like a diary. What is upside down is not a mistake. It is the opposite of the cards meaning. Like a positive card would have a negative meaning if it was upside down. So don't fix your cards to be all facing the "right" way. And it was my understanding the deck has to be a "gift" so have your loved friend or family member buy it for you! ( )