Gradle documentation is 66, but Android's gradle plugin is only a subset. Plus, gradle _is_ simple and easy to use in the standard scenario of a run-of-the-mill Android app.

It's when your app becomes more complicated (product flavor's for example), that you need to read and understand the gradle documentation. If this is the case, then you are not a novice and 66 chapters of docs is a blessing not a curse.

and Again _the Android gradle plug-in only supports a subset of gradle_!