For a beginner I'd recommend Henry Horenstein's "Basic Photography in Black and White" (I am not 100% sure of the title). It has fairly informative and easy to read explanations of the process and does not delve into jargon.(posted 9069 days ago)Apart from that, Tim Rudman's "The Photographer's Master Printing Course" is quite good.
Ansel Adams' volumes, while good, can appear pedantic.