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I purchased a cooking class for my son and his girlfriend - authentic Mexican cooking from a chef who trained with several chefs in Chicago. I would like to include a cookbook as part of the gift (something to open). I own two Rick Bayless cookbooks, but I've really not cooked from them...yet! Looking for recommendations from someone with more experience. Would one of his books be fine, or are there others I don't know of?

Bayless's books are good.  Another good one is by Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz -- her recipes are unfussy but authentic.  It's called The New Complete Book of Mexican Cooking.  A third good choice would be Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibañez.  It focuses on the myriad sauces in Mexican cooking, which can be used with many different meats, on enchiladas, etc.  Books by Zarela Martinez or Patricia Quintana are also excellent.  Diana Kennedy's books are comprehensive and authoritative, but her recipes are more complicated and she tends to take the attitude that if you don't have the exact authentic ingredient she specifies you might as well forget about trying to make the dish!  

Among Rick Bayless' books,  Authentic Mexican is probably the best choice for your son.   Nice gifts!

I second Elizabeth Lambert Ortiz, just picked up her book of latin american cooking, there are lots no fuss recipes that are authentic and so far quite tasty :)