[.ca] The Small Business Start-Up Kit for California with CDROM (ISBN 1413304435)

excellent for starters:
This book is easy to read and follow. It has a complete list of things you need to do to set up your own business and some good advices. Highly recommended!

Excellent tutorial and reference:
Everything you need to know about starting a small business in California is in here. What legal structure to choose, which agencies you need to deal with, what forms you need and where to get them, web addresses, phone numbers, and all the details. It also has a wealth of information on running a business, including information on accounting, taxation, and employees. It's well organized and easy to read. The only gaps are in some of the details on forming LLCs and corporations. The reader is referred to other Nolo books for the gritty details. If you're forming a partnership or sole proprietorship -- probably the most common types for "cottage industry" -- the book is reasonably complete.