I suggest “The Elements of Typographic Style” by Robert Bringhurst. Already the first 5 pages come with a quick guide to typographic elements and history that made me fascinated.
This is the book, can't recommend it high enough. It works for those who are just looking for the intro and those who are knee-deep in the subject already.
An absolutely fantastic read and a pleasure to look at. Also, some editions use Touche paper for the cover, so it got a very nice feel to it too :)
