I'm a researcher, and sometimes I spend too much time researching. My wife knew I was interested in brewing so she bought me a basic starter kit, one that included a fermentation bucket, bottling bucket, siphon, etc., and an extract with specialty grains amber ale kit. I followed the directions and the beer came out great! I made the jump to all-grain in about 10 months. Just getting that first beer under your belt is a big first step...you will learn more from brewing that first beer than all the reading you have done to this point...I say this because I didn't really know what the books were talking about until I brewed. Cheers!