First Step: An Elementary Reader for Modern Chinese (The Princeton Language Program: Modern Chinese)

the best

I must strongly recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn Mandarin - it's worth 20 of my other books all in one. It is concise, clear and detailed. The only complaint is that there aren't any exercises to practise the new structures and vocabulary. The pace is remarkably quick but incredibly natural. This book is simply amazing.

Clear and progressive