I've found starting strength to be a lot of fun and very beginner friendly (apart from the overhead press anyway). I'd suggest anyone who wants to get into lifting follow it, nothing feels better than going from squatting 0 to 200 lbs in the course of a few months.
Ditto for SS, I have no idea how well it compares to other programs but for the sense of progress (weight increases every time) it cannot be beaten.
Good if you have tried and then quit the gym before. I also recommend fitocracy.com (or any other sites of that ilk) to "game-ify" exercise a bit and keep you motivated.
