Is there a book/resource you'd recommend to people who know absolutely nothing about beekeeping but think it sounds terribly awesome and would like to know what it takes to get started?
They usually have meetings and education/demo days, or at least would be happy to answer any questions that you have about keeping bees.
I think this is better than reading a book, because there are often special rules or challenges depending on where you live, and these are things that the local beekeepers would know about.