Write a Book Dummies

Here is a web site that I often refer those seeking info to:http://justfuckinggoogleit.com/

4est, thanks for the offer. I will probably have to take you up on the offer as I move into full gear in 4 - 6 weeks.
I agree; I've tried the electornic medium of reading newspapers/novels/history and keep coming back to the hard copy. It's just right. Probably a generational thing, but hey, I can deal with that.
Didn't offend me, Liz. While getting my instrument pilots rating a few years ago, I searched high and low for a Dummies in that area. A bit too esoteric I'm afraid. How about "How to apply for, and get Gov't Stimulus $$$ for Dummies".

There is a "Home Theater For Dummies" but I was looking for something on surround sound.

The best references now days can be found on line. If you have a specific need, you can simply "Google" it. I have found answers to all of my technical questions this way.

Like you, Farmdoc, I still cherish the physical written medium. Can you imagine reading a novel on line? There are new electronic “book” formats that will appeal to a new generation that look similar to the iPad, in which the reader will simply scan the “tablet” by swiping a finger across the screen. Complete novels will be read this way. Give me a clumsy old hard cover any day!

I doubt it will happen...

Things are changing very quickly, and a conventional book would be outdated before it was published. I was where you are at a few years ago and already the learning curve was steep at that time. It's even worse nowadays.

The good news is that there are a lot of helpful people in the "know", even designers and engineers of the products themselves sometime step in and answer questions.

If I may begin to help you, the first thing I would do is try to forget most everything you might think you know about computers and their connections. High end digital is a lot more like high end analog than it is I.T. (information tech) from my experiences.
Feel free to personal message me if you have some specific questions you would like answered. Otherwise the Computeraudio Forums are a great place to ask questions as long as you don't mind the occasional troll chiming in (same as it is here). FWIW, I presently own all of the items on your list and then some.