Looking for small block book suggestions

I would like to learn a little bit more about how and why engines work and don't want to berate you guys with random questions I should be able to find the answer to, so I am thinking of buying a book to do some self study. I'm looking for something that covers some camshaft, head, timing, carburetor, etc. theory/application and why parts work together the way they do. All of this with the ultimate goal of having a better understanding of what I have in my car, why it does what it does, and how to change it if I ever want to. I can look at cam specs all day, but all I can really do is compare them to each other and not know why they do what they do (same with carbs). (All manufacturers seem to say things like "better torque response" and "great low and mid range torque." Well, compared to what and in what?)

I saw this one on amazon (How to Rebuild the Small Block Mopar): [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Rebuild-Small-Block-Mopar-William-Burt/dp/1613250584/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394672054&sr=8-1&keywords=small+block+mopar"]How to Rebuild the Small-Block Mopar: William Burt: 9781613250587: Amazon.com: Books[/ame]

and would like to know if this is a good purchase or if there are better ones to describe how the motor works the way it does. My local library system doesn't seem to have anything on motor theory, so that isn't an option to try books before purchasing.