Books

If you don't know where to start, go with Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma, but none of these are likely to waste your time.

Cookbooks

See also Books about Food. Some binary choices are arbitrary.

Beard On Bread by James Beard
Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book by Better Homes and Gardens
The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating by Fergus Henderson
Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads by Bernard Clayton Jr.
This is the book that really introduced phrits to his kitchen. He's much more of a cook than a baker today, but he owes a lot to this one.
The Complete Book of Pastry by Bernard Clayton Jr.
The Wooden Spoon Bread Book: The Secrets of Successful Baking by Marilyn M. Moore
Real Food for Dogs: 50 Vet-Approved Recipes to Please the Canine… by Arden Moore
In the Heat of the Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay
Kitchen Heaven by Gordon Ramsay
Crust & Crumb: Master Formulas for Serious Bread Bakers by Peter Reinhart
The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, et al.
Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman

See also Cookbooks. Some binary choices are arbitrary.

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain
Cookwise: The Secrets of Cooking Revealed by Shirley Corriher
The Gastronomical Me by M.F.K. Fisher
Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient by Jennifer McLagan
Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee
This is recognized by nearly all food professionals as the definitive book on the science of cooking. Its only noticeable flaw is a weak index.
Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health by Marion Nestle
Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism by Marion Nestle
What to Eat by Marion Nestle
The Flavor Bible by Karen Page
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan
The Elements of Cooking by Michael Ruhlman
The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute by Michael Ruhlman
The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection by Michael Ruhlman
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained by Robert L. Wolke