Lets add: 

• Emms (2006) Discovering Chess Openings
• Djuric / Komarov / Pantaleoni (2009) Chess Opening Essentials (4 volumes)

MNb wrote on 11/02/22 at 13:27:36:

Absolutely. His treatment of every structure is woefully inadequate! I already knew that when I cast my "yes" vote. On the other side, it's a very short book, it has some basic ideas, and will get a player started.

Maybe someone can suggest a better book, which was the second half of OP's question. I haven't read Fundamental Chess Openings...

The book has at least two major problems, besides theory having advanced enormously since 1948.

1. Authors of such books invariably face a dilemma. GM Fine in the preface says that understanding ideas is far more effective than memorizing concrete moves. It's questionable if that's the case in say the Najdorf 6.Bg5, but let's neglect that. To present ideas behind openings Fine has to present moves to reach a concrete position. To justify the particular move sequence he discusses deviations. The result is inevitably a tree of lines - to be memorized.
Fine falls in this trap and hence fails to solve the dilemma.

2. His treatment of Dutch structures is woefully inadequate, also according to 1948 standards. Again, I'm not complaining that the Leningrad is missing and that his interpretation of the Stonewall is outdated. I'm talking the formations d6, e6, f5 and b6, e6, f5. Both were well known when the book was published.
On page 163, diagram 36F Fine doesn't recognize that this is a Dutch structure, eg 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e6 4.e3 d6. His assessment usual favourable for Black is simply wrong. Ironically he hardly discusses White's ideas and totally ignores the crucial role of piece placement.
On my level Black can expect to meet White's setup pretty often. In the hands of someon who understands it it's a good weapon. Basically White must develop rapidly and play e2-e4 asap.
Neither in the section on the Queen's Indian nor in the one on the Dutch Fine discusses the Dutch queenside fianchetto. WCh Euwe already was aware of this similarity. Fine does mention it in the section on the Bird (with colours reversed) but again doesn't discuss piece placement. Short version: after 1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3 Nc3 e6 4 e3 b6 White should develop with f3, Bd3, Nge2 and evt. castle queenside. With colours reversed this seems to work too.
Finally Fine takes the issue of move orders way too easy. And exactly here there is an excellent opportunity to discuss it. Sure, 1.d4 f5 2.g3 is optimal, because it avoids ...Bb4+ lines. So Black started to play 1 d4 e6 2 c4 f5 3 g3 Nf6 4 Bg2 Bb4+. Fine contradicts himself saying first that White doesn't achieve anything, gives a line with Black playing ...d5 (huh?) and then points out that Black's dark squares are weak (page 209). And what about 5 Bd2 Be7 ?

I've played the Dutch structures with ...b6 and ...d6 for 25 years, suffered terrible defeats and have won too. Fine is right, understanding is very important. Unfortunately you won't get it as far as the Dutch is is involved from this book.

Is Reuben Fine's "The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings" still considered a good book for learning the basic ideas behind openings? If not, what would be some better alternative(s)?