If you're trying to make Jerky I can't help you a bit. If you're trying to make quality barbecue then the books I return to are:
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, American Roadhouse (10 speed press)
Barbecue America, a pilgrimage in search of America's best BBQ (Time Life Books)
and occasionally Barbecue Bible (Steven Raichlen) or anything by George Hirsch.
Really, the top two are probably the best. The most important thing to know is that it's as much an art as it is a science. Though it sounds corny, you really do need to know your equipment (grill/smoker) and know how it reacts. For me, one of the best things I added to my smoking success was a NU*Temp remote thermometer. It's got a probe at the end of a three-foot cord which goes into the smoker, and it attaches to a transmitter with a digital readout. Not only can I see what the temperature is in the smoker, but with the portable reciever I can monitor the temperature from in the house. It's got a settable alarm for over or under temperature (either-or, not both) so it tells you if it's getting to hot or cold. Personally, I love to smoke bone-in pork shoulders -- and when I do I'm usually smoking 4-6 of them at a time. A good dry rub, let them relax overnight in the refrigerator and then into the smoker already churning out a good hickory smoke and maintaining around 225 degrees. I smoke them for 4-5 hours before wrapping them tightly in foil and finishing them for another 3-4 hours. It's sublime...
Papa Duece...I'm going to hop in my 
and bring all the DISers, some 
, some 
, and then we can 
while we all taste your smoked meats....
