Perusing these and other forums, we all occasionally see a beginner who need some basic theory help to get rolling. I'm no different, having absolutely no class time on analogue electronics. I had access to a few very maths-heavy theory books, and not a lot else. While I now have the "The Art of Electronics" and the student manual to go with it, I found this site very helpful;
http://electronics.wisc-online.com/Having no traction of analogue electronics, finding this website, along with "The Art" is a substantial leg-up onto understanding analogue circuits.
If anyone else has some sites that may offer insights to those new to the game, please post them up!
P.