hi matt, welcome to the forum....
that book you are reading isnt too bad hey. I've read it too. It's got some good info on planets and what you can expect to see.
I'd recommend a good sky chart of some sort, wheather it be print or electronic it doesnt matter really but it'll come in real handy for findig constellations and such. also visit you local library and borrow some books with charts that show some of the more interesting objects in the sky.
clear skies to you sir!
