I have stumbled upon Algorithms
(by Sanjoy Dasgupta Algorithms (Author), Christos H. Papadimitriou Algorithms (Author), Umesh Vazirani). I find it, good for beginners, without being overwhelming. It goes like prose and not terse.
This is my favorite introductory book on algorithms. It's very well-written, concise, and develops important concepts through problems. It also strikes a nice balance in presenting real mathematical content without beating you over the head with formality.