From what I remember, many signs are based on the alphabet. It’s been years since I’ve taken the class or used it, but I remember the alphabet and a few signs, so I could get by in an emergency. I wanted to brush up on my signs, so I bought “The Art of Sign Language.”

If you want to learn, I suggest taking a class if it’s possible (if you can get into a class and if your school offers it), since you’ll have to take elective classes. Some colleges let students take ASL as part of their foreign language credit. You do not have to major or minor in it to take a class in it.

Even if you’re not hard of hearing, sign language is useful. You never know when you’ll meet someone who uses it to communicate, or if you’ll find yourself needing to use it. Plus, if you and a friend are in public and don’t want everyone to overhear your conversation, you can sign to each other. Of course, there might be some people around who know sign language.

I don’t have a book in particular that i would recommend. Personally I like the sign language books that has colorful pictures of someone signing and not a drawing of the sign. It’s personally preference. I also like the books that have sentences and phrases that are used in everyday speech. Best wishes in you new learning experience!