YouTube is your friend... well not your friend exactly, but a useful resource. Search for Flux Core welding or FCAW. However, first prize would be finding a retired welder that might want to take on a student ... alternativly your community college might offer beginner welding courses. It is difficult learning welding from a book as it is hard to visualise what the puddle should look like from a book.
Get yourself a whole bunch of scrap metal and practice, practice, practice. Pad beads until you are sick of padding beads, then pad some more.
Just my 2c worth.