Where's a new Christian to start?

A long-time friend of mine asked me where in the Bible a new Christian should start reading.  In the beginning, at Genesis and just read it through?  At the start of the New Testament, in Matthew? 
My own suggestion would be to have anyone who wants to learn about the Bible, and new Christians in particular start with the Gospel of Mark.  Mark offers the easiest to understand account of the life of Jesus, and one that can be read in a short period of time.  You've got to start somewhere, and the account of who Jesus is and what he did for us should generate plenty of questions that will help spark the dialogue that leads to understanding and growth.
It also seems like a good idea to read the letter of James for its practical moral advice about living an active faith, and then perhaps the letter of I John because of John's teaching on what makes a person a Christian (oddly enough, the subject of my book; free to read, download, or print with a simple click; just click on the "documents you can read" topic in the index).
In the end, new Christians and those who are curious but not believers, both need help from someone who can explain the basics of the Gospel message who is also at the same time living that message in his/her life.  The Bible can work wonders, it is of course God's Word, but most people want to see that we take this Bible seriously, that we follow its teachings, and that we love each other if they themselves are going to join our family.
Where's a new Christian to start?  Hopefully, reading God's Word and spending time in a local church that can help him/her nurture that newborn faith.  In the end, perhaps where a person starts to read isn't as important as who is walking alongside them to help them.  We all should be eager to lend a helping hand to those who, like us, have found redemption in the blood of the Lamb.