Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe
Don't be afraid to take small jumps - be afraid to stop improving.
But please understand this, if you miss everything else in this entire book: stronger does not necessarily mean more weight on the bar. Resist the temptation to add weight at the expense of correct technique - you are doing no one any favors when you sacrifice form for weight on the bar. Progress stops, bad habits get formed, injuries accumulate, and no one benefits in the long run.
Another problem with partial squats is the fact that very heavy loads may be moved, due to the short range of motion and the greater mechanical efficiency of the quarter squat position. This predisposes the trainee to back injuries as a result of the extreme spinal loading that results from putting a weight on his back that is possibly in excess of three times the weight that can be safely handled in a correct deep squat. A lot of football coaches are fond of partial squats, since it allows them to claim that their 17 year-old linemen are all squatting 600 lbs. Your interest is in getting strong (at least it should be), not in playing meaningless games with numbers. If it's too heavy to squat below parallel, it's too heavy to have on your back.
Rebound out of the bottom, the concept of "bounce," is very important. Once again, the bounce DOES NOT INVOLVE THE KNEE. You bounce off of the hamstrings and adductors, not the quads.
The deadlift is also easy to overtrain; a heavy workout takes a long time to recover from, and this fact must be kept in mind when setting up your training schedule.
But please understand this, if you miss everything else in this entire book: stronger does not necessarily mean more weight on the bar. Resist the temptation to add weight at the expense of correct technique - you are doing no one any favors when you sacrifice form for weight on the bar. Progress stops, bad habits get formed, injuries accumulate, and no one benefits in the long run.