I want to absorb all of the knowledge. I've read things piecemeal. Can someone point me to a book, series of articles, or videos that'll get me to a level of operational readiness asap? I've got a few potentials I need guidance with.

I'd like to skip the fluff and go straight to the high quality info. I'm not interested in theory -- I already agree with the theory.

I bought Neal Strauss' "Rules of the Game", not The Game which isn't a manual, it's a story. But I've yet to read it.