There are some basic books that many of us have read. The Complete Walker by the late Colin Fletcher is considered the Bible of backpacking. There are several different editions going back to the mid 60's or so. Also, Harvey Manning's book, Backpacking One Step At A Time, another old school book like Fletcher's. There is even Backpacking for Dummies and The Complete Idiot's Guide To Backpacking And Hiking. There are dozens of others. I have Fletcher's book and used to have Manning's. I've seen the other two in bookstores and online. Amazon has them all, plus many more. Newer books cover lightweight hiking topics like you find on this site. There are cooking books, navigation, trail guides, winter camping, you name it, someone has written a book on it. Not to forget the hundreds of websites that cover every aspect of camping and hiking. Don't forget, it's not just about gear. Anyone can walk into a store like REI and walk out with everything you need to get into backpacking. Consider taking a class with a club or group like the Sierra Club to learn basic skills. Don't be self-conscious either and as already said, hike your own hike. If you are getting into this for any reason other than your own pleasure, you're doing it wrong.