Mike,
First book purchased was the, Radio Amatures Handbook, with my paper route money, back then we built most of our equipment, power supply, cw transmitter, and receiver, but the missing item an antenna, came from reading a monthly publication, QST, i read an article on building a beer can antenna, went to every pub in town, gathering empty beer cans, then with 2lbs. of solder, i assembled 54 beer cans, to make a vertical antenna for 40 meters, there was no such thing as Google it, back then, books and mentors, were the only way to get the information.
