Well, if you post a schematic or some code we may be more helpful.

Re-check the examples shown in the book. Make sure all your define lines are 100%. Buzz out the breadboard again. All wires!

And lastly, as it catches me near every time I start a new PIC, make sure the pins you connect to are not used for some analog function (PICs default to those). You can try something like setting all the LCD drive pins high and low in a loop, make sure they all do that. Fast loop if you have a scope, slow loop if you use a DVM.

The LCD stuff works.