There is no "one size fits all" answer to this question.
It strongly depends on the context of the reader.
That said, I can offer several suggestions for different demographics.
If you are starting from zero and have little background with mathematics as a whole then Conceptual Mathematics: A First Introduction to Categories by Lawvere and Schanuel is probably the best starting point. It doesn't go deep or far, but it does supply you with a lot of drill for the material it does cover, which is quite rare for a category theory textbook!
If you have a lot of "mathematical maturity" probably the most dense book on the topic is Categories for the Working Mathematician by Saunders Mac Lane. I personally bounced off this book a half-dozen times trying to work through it, but in the end was able to make it through. The journey is tough, but the reward at the end is worth it. It is a very comprehensive summary of 1-category theory, and nicely ties up the core ideas at that level. The last chapter is enough of an