microsoft has hands on stuff in thier "virtual labs"

the resource kit is good as well.

This book takes you
through a scenario of a Florist shop if i remember correctly.
Basically you will need a lab environment (Virtual PC or VMWare is
perfectly acceptable) to run through the exersizes but in the end
you should have a pretty decent grasp on the subject. This was
created for Novice users and is pretty detailed in its explainations.

It is called SharePoint Step By Step:

http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/7241.asp

It was one of the more difficult books  I've written. The editing process was grueling, they actually told me that even though the screen used the term URL I had to reference the “text in the Internet Explorer Address Bar” because the target audience may not know what a URL was.

In the end, I think it turned out exceptionally well. For ~$15-20, you really can't go wrong.

Lent my copy to one of my clients who wants to know how to use Sharepoint. I must follow up and see whether there's any work for me there

I am planning on finishing the book by the middle of next week. Any suggestions on another book after I finish the Step by Step book?