Homebrew PCBs

Homebrewers...

     I've been subsribed to the group and reading posts for several
months now with the goal of learning enough to be able to fab a few
simple boards.  Unfortunately, it's not happening through "osmosis" so
I wonder if you guys could recommend a book or two that I could buy
that would cover the basics.  A lot of you clearly know what you're
doing but the discussions about the nuances of using printers and
playing with various chemical etchings is above my head right now so I
figure I'd better find something that covers the basics.  Any help
would be appreciated.

Finally, one of the near term goals is to fabricate a couple of small
boards for carrying some LEDs and a few amplifiers and regulators,
(nothing real complex from a circuit standpoint).  Does anyone here
offer a service to make boards like this?  I would be interested in
talking with someone who could provide a fee service for a little
assistance with the board design and then actually make a few prototypes. 

Thanks
Monte