The information in these books are well layed out, but some of it can still be intimidating. Especially when you start to move into intermediate and advanced techniques of brewing (so many variables!). When starting out, proper sanitization techniques are the best thing to master. Partial mash brewing is a great time to play around with all the little variables these books will present, but don't feel like you have to practice all of them (water chemistry, pH, enzyme temps, water bill) at once. As long as you keep everything clean and sanitized, your beers will turn out great!