Like most people, I had tasted beer a number of times when I was a kid. I liked it, but when I began reading things like Lord of the Rings and All Creatures Great and Small, I was reading the author's descriptions of the beers the character's were drinking and they didn't match my experience. I wanted to taste THOSE beers. When I was in college (mid-late 80's), I got my hands on beer from all over, trying different things, experimenting... it was at this time that I had my first American micro-brew; a couple of Bell's products. I was hooked.
There was mention in one of James Herriot's books that one of his clients made a "nutty brown ale", I figured if that old, Yorkshire farmer could do it, I could too. I went to a bookstore and looked for a book on beer making. Found Papazian's book and read it over and over. I needed a job at the time and went to Bell's thinking that would be the best job EVER. The knowledge that I had gained from Papazian's book was instrumental in landing the job... simpler times! I was actually working in the brewery before I ever brewed a drop at home, and was assistant brewer after only 4 or 5 homebrews under my belt.