Reddit mentions of Options for the Beginner And Beyond: Unlock the Opportunities And Minimize the Risks

I started with this book.

As others have said here, short-term option plays are unequivocally gambling. Long-term, however, you can use call options with 2+ year expiration dates (called LEAPs - Long Term Equity Anticipation) on a broad index fund, e.g. SPY, as an effective way of entering a position resembling share ownership with a much lower initial capital expenditure. You can "roll" your LEAPs contracts by selling 1 a year in and buying another, thereby mimicking a buy-and-hold approach. Read more about that here. You can also view them as a way to assume leverage without using margin.

And yes, as others also pointed out, you can use short-term put options as a hedge for your long investments if you wanted to sleep a little better at night.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0131721283/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=7a8f5654-37f5-4688-a266-a74309cad748&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0134778057&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=6PQYB2SYSTNTTKHJPHSS&pf_rd_r=6PQYB2SYSTNTTKHJPHSS&pf_rd_p=7a8f5654-37f5-4688-a266-a74309cad748

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There's pdf copies around the internet if you look.

You can start with this book: http://www.amazon.com/Options-Beginner-Beyond-Opportunities-Minimize/dp/0131721283/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1411377865&sr=8-3&keywords=options+for+beginners
Options are derivatives so in order to be good options trader you still have to be good trader and understand underlying markets very well. Trading them adds another layer of complexity and can be very risky if you don't know what you are doing. I'm not sure it is good starting point for someone new :)