Hello and sorry 'bout the annoying newbie question :-)

I would like to get started using PICs, but I am having trouble deciding
what is the best place to start.  The PIC16C84 seems to be the best
beginners PIC due to its EEPROM, but which programmer should I use?  The
PICStart Plus Programmer, PICSTART-Lite or will a "home-made" programmer do
the trick for me?  If so, which would you recommend?  Which books would you
recommend?

If have done a lot or surfing for PIC sites, and found plenty.  But I
haven't found the perfect site which takes you right through from buying
the supplies to actually programming the chips.  Once I get started with
PICs, I hope to put up my own site with all the info that I used (or wished
I had.)

Thank-you for your help.

David Boone
dave@pyramid.bc.ca