Yes, this is the best book for a beginner. Not only will it explain how to do the lifts in great detail, it'll also make you appreciate why you should be lifting.

After reading the book, I would still go to a personal trainer. A few hundred dollars to have someone help you learn an important life-long skill is good value. Book is great, but having someone watch over you and correct you in the beginning is still very important.

Agreed, but I'd get someone familiar with the book or that specialises properly in powerlifting or strength training. Not personal trainer of the day at the nearest Globo Gym.

Never quite understood why r/fitness was so against it and StrongLifts:

https://thefitness.wiki/faq/starting-strength-and-stronglift...

Starting Strength is really two books. One part teaches you the most effective form for each lift, and the second provides a programme for a novice lifter.

Both will be modified as you become more experienced - you might tweak your form to take account for EG short upper body, or you might find you respond better to volume rather than intensity in your programming. But it's like a lot of things - you need to learn the rules before you can break the rules. I'd say it's a good, simple starting point to find those things out about yourself.

There are also a lot of Starting Strength adjacent companies that also provide good programmes - Barbell Medicine, Barbell Logic, Andy Baker etc.

This, and definitely watch the Starting Strength YouTube channel...