I picked up the ABC's of Reloading when I started out. I'd also recommend a reloading manual from Hornady, Lyman, or Speer, etc. THe ABC's book has plenty of pics and a step by step pictorial section. The reloading manuals are pretty detailed textually and you'll need one anyway to load the proper weights of charges unless you get the info over the web. It's not just about reloading cases, these books explain pressure, the anatomy of the case, ballistics, do's and don'ts, just about everything you'll need to understand. I can't really comment on the class price but I would say that having "hands on" experience with an experienced reloader before I got into it would have helped a lot.