We learned to parent "by the book." This drives Muslim Mom's mom (Muslim Nani?) crazy. Muslim Nani tolerates parenting books, but trusts her instincts. Eventually, you'll find the "right" balance of information from books vs. tried and true advice from experienced family members. From time to time I'll post reviews of books and other written material that we've found helpful.
The Boston Childrens' Hospital Guide to Your Child's Growth and Development was our Bible for the first few months of the Baboo's life. The super long name is the only impractical thing about this book; other than that, it is the owner's manual for your new baby. It assumes you know nothing about children (which was definitely the case for us). The chapters are concise and tell you just what you need to know. There's none of the alarmism of the "What to Expect" series - it's just a friendly reference, an owner's manual if you will.
At a time when everything is new, it helps to be on the same page (literally) as your spouse, so that you don't waste time figuring out day-to-day activities. Don't know what a onesie is? No problem, there's a picture. Don't know how to burp a baby - there's diagrams! Easy to read, with a great index and a CPR page that we've bookmarked... just in case. This book has it all.
