Is Black & Decker's "Codes for Homeowners" (3rd edition, 2015) a useful resource?
Yes, but in at least one instance, the text and the graphic are completely wrong, so be cautious. On pp. 40-41, the book indicates that you must have a smoke alarm "within 3 horizontal feet of the door of a bathroom containing a tub or shower." The actual code (in California, at least) requires that no smoke detector be any closer than 3 feet--to prevent false alarms from steam. (CA Residential Code chapter 3, section R314). A pretty serious misinterpretation.