Also name me the best one or two beginners homebrewing books.
The Complete Joy of Homebrewing: this book is the equivalent of your goofy uncle teaching you to brew. the science/techiness is kept in check (not to say that there isn't any science, just not as much as other books). the emphasis is on getting you brewing, vs. making you a theoretical expert. this book is the origin of the expression "relax, don't worry, have a homebrew" - the author's advice to brewers who get hung up on small details.
How to Brew: aka "The Bible." the tagline says it all: Everything You Need To Know To Brew Beer Right The First Time. it starts off slow, but does eventually get into the scientific details. the author does a great job explaining to you why you should care about those details. current edition is the 3rd, the author has been working on the 4th for some time now but no publication date yet. the
first edition is online, but it's dated. i would invest in the newest edition.
my suggestion: start with the joy of homebrewing. that will keep you happy for many months, then you can get how to brew to answer the questions you will inevitably build up. i started off with the joy, but i haven't touched that book since my 3rd or 4th months of brewing. how to brew, however, is a reference book you go back to no matter how long you've been brewing.
and if you're more visual/less literate: consider
these DVDs (or online video rentals). get the "with extract" version first.
and looks like there are some simple videos in YT like
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgPdttvbhU4. they seem to only cover the mechanics ("add X to Y, stir, then pour") and provide little explanation as to
why you're doing something.
i'll answer pasteurization=improved? later...