Reddit mentions of Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking: Three Step-by-Step Guidebooks to Essential Woodworking Techniques

Also, if you want a really good intro to the care and use of that set of tools, and some plans, then Tage Frid teaches woodworking is a fantastic resource. Look at YouTube for safety tips on each saw, too. There's lots of good free info out there.

Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking 3 Volume Set Covers all the fundamentals and more. It is a great reference book and all his methods are spot on and very simple.

I'm new to woodworking and have mostly been learning on my own. These books have been extremely helpful. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1561588261/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478958015&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=tage+frid+teaches+woodworking&dpPl=1&dpID=413wT3q259L&ref=plSrch

Desks and shelves are totally fine to start with! Just draw up your plans and get started, you'll start finding out what you need to know. For example, on both, you'll have to learn how to flatten and square your lumber on the jointer and planer, or using hand planes, and for a desk, you'll need to edge glue some lumber together to form a panel. Just jump in & start asking questions, you'll get a lot more out of having a specific problem that needs solving and therefore having a specific question to ask than all of this vague "where should I start" kind of stuff. You start by starting. That being said, I got a lot out of these books when I started:

https://www.amazon.com/Woodworking-Basics-Essentials-Craftsmanship-Integrated/dp/156158620X

https://www.amazon.com/Tage-Teaches-Woodworking-Step-Step/dp/1561588261

https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Solutions-Strategies-Essentials-Woodworking/dp/1561583448

This third one I linked was especially helpful. I liked it because it discusses things in terms of general considerations, like here are the various ways you can attach a tabletop to a base and allow for wood movement, here are the space considerations in designing a table so everyone has enough elbow room, and therefore gets in you the mindset of thinking things through and drawing your own plans.

Regardless of whether you take an apprenticeship or attend a college program, I would highly recommend expanding your knowledge on woodworking. There are five basic books I could not have survived without.

"Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking" by Tage Frid - This is for a box set of Tage Frid's three books. I bought them separate, but one link was easier than three links. You can buy these off of Amazon or eBay for quite cheap if you're a smart shopper.

"Understanding Wood: A Craftsman's Guide to Wood Technology" by R. Bruce Hoadley Edit: Recommended for a better understanding of the materials you're working with.

"Identifying Wood: Accurate Results With Simple Tools" by R. Bruce Hoadley Edit: Recommended because as a carpenter or woodworker, you should be able to identify most common wood types.

If you're just beginning and don't want to spend the $100ish it would cost for all of these, start with Tage's first book. "Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking: Joinery: Tools and Techniques". It will teach A LOT about design and wood in general, which will help you when applying for apprenticeships and/or carpentry/cabinet-making school.

It should be noted, these are textbooks for the most part and as such, read like one. If you're fresh out of high school, it should be easy to resume an old studying routine; if not, I suggest coffee, a chair that's comfortable and a notebook for note-taking. Seriously.

Robert Benedetto: Building an Archtop Guitar

George Frank: Adventures in Wood FInishing

Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking

George Nakashima: The Soul of a Tree

The Genius of Japanese Carpentry

All these b ooks have impressed me greatly, and taught me things.

Well you're off to a good start since you've heard about wood movement. That will save you some heartache.
As far as putting pieces of wood together goes, that's joinery and that's the fun part. Most joinery is designed to be held together only with glue. If your project is well designed you should be able to do a dry-fit and have it all hold together without glue (but you glue it together as a final step).
I can recommend a series of books called "Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking." It covers the usual joints, how to cut them using both hand and power tools, finishing, and a bunch of other standard woodworking processes.

Tage Frid's three volume set. https://www.amazon.com/Tage-Teaches-Woodworking-Step-Step/dp/1561588261

You can find them used for a lot less. Classic and complete.

if you were only to get one I'd say get the series of Tage Frid

YouTube is a great place to learn just about anything.

Agree wholeheartedly with u/Joyrenee22. Woodworking for Mere Mortals is a must.

Also check out King's Fine Woodworking. He and his daughters have some great videos including a free woodworking course that just started. I don't know how many videos there are yet but the first few have been about shop tools, what they do, how to use them, tips/tricks, etc.

A few more good channels: Crafted Workshop, Jon Peters, The Wood Whisperer, Jays Custom Creations, and April Wilkerson. There are a ton more but I can't think of anymore off the top of my head.

Don't underestimate books for learning woodworking. My wife got me a few last Christmas that I've really enjoyed.

Woodworking Basics - Peter Korn

Good Clean Fun - Nick Offerman (bonus, this book is full of light hearted humor)

Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking. This is technically three books and a DVD. They're thick and dense (content wise) so this may not be the funnest to run through. Some of the illustrations in the book aren't that great either.

Good luck!

looked on amazon, there is a collection with three volumes for about 60 bucks. is that the same series? looks like it to me.

http://www.amazon.com/Tage-Teaches-Woodworking-Step-Step/dp/1561588261

https://www.amazon.com/Tage-Teaches-Woodworking-Step-Step/dp/1561588261 these are good introductory-intermediate books for getting started.

For basic videos, you'll see a lot of pocket hole jigs in use. Generally skip 'em unless you're going to be doing a lot of knock-together type stuff - they're expensive and the joints they create are pretty weak.

Amazon's your best source for almost all tools price-wise. The shipping sucks, but it's still way cheaper.