Reddit reviews Level Design: Concept, Theory, and Practice

"Level Design: Concept, Theory, and Practice" by Rudolf Kremers. Here's its Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Level-Design-Concept-Theory-Practice/dp/1568813384/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367377785&sr=8-1&keywords=level+design+concept+theory+practice

While we're on the topic, I do recommend this book to anyone who's interested in level design. There are a couple sections that I'm not sure I agree with, but there are some very interesting ideas presented in here that at the very least will make you rethink the level design process.

There is actually a lot of good reading about level design out there. I can't remember all of the books/articles off hand, but I'll see if I can throw some links together.

Edit:
This one had a lot of good theory and concepts

Great book. If you are going to spend some money to buy a book, get this.

Also, I would recommend playing through games with good level design and breaking down each design choice. Getting a few overhead maps helps too. Start with old games, because their levels/art is often more simple and easier to pick apart. Then move up in generations to get a feel for how people tackle more complicated scenes and designs.

I am not sure what aspect you are interested in. The set dressing or the actual level design, but there are some differences between the too.

I googled it and this came up on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Level-Design-Concept-Theory-Practice/dp/1568813384

It's got very good reviews but also there is an abundance of level design books in the suggestions on the page below. I can't speak for any of them but one of them is bound to be good.

There aren't that many books about level design, but here are two:

https://www.amazon.com/Level-Design-Games-Compelling-Experiences/dp/0321375971

https://www.amazon.com/Level-Design-Concept-Theory-Practice/dp/1568813384

Meanwhile, one of my favorite tips about level design is setting up decision points. This is just one tool of course; there are a lot of things to consider when designing levels, but this is a useful little non-obvious way to spice up a level. Create places where the player has to choose which way to go, and there isn't a clear right answer because both directions have pros and cons.

A classic example is when the high road bypasses a bunch of enemies, while the low road has several enemies and an item pickup. Avoiding the enemies has obvious appeal, but then you also skip over the pickup.

How about a subscription to an online tutorial service like www.digitaltutors.com. This way he can decide which software route to take and how much training he needs. Or maybe a book... Level Design: Concept, Theory and Practice

I'd recommend this massively:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Game-Design-Vocabulary-Foundational-Principles-x/dp/0321886925/

It's really clear and helps you understand what you are using the levels for.

I'm about half way through this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Level-Design-Concept-Theory-Practice/dp/1568813384/

It's good so far.