Okay, I only started shooting with a DSLR about 2 years ago. I shot with a P&S for at least 10 years prior...but only for work photos on jobsites.
I have learned a lot about photography...what I have really learned is how much I do not know. 
and I am happy about that, because I really love to put the effort in to learn something new - a real challenge in so many different ways.
So, now I am learning about editing images. I am much newer at that than photography...really just months into it.
I have the following software:
LR3
CS5 - just received it today - I fought the need for this, but the recent price reduction made this a no brainer to purchase
NIK
Camera Raw 6.xx
I have read posts, and articles about processing, and became a little confused by all of the different methods available and actually used.
So, I also purchased more books than I should have.
Well, If I had to recommend 1 book for beginners who have the same or similar software, this is what I recommend:
Real World - Camera Raw, by Jeff Schewe and Bruce Fraser
After all the reading I have done, this book has helped tremendously by removing a lot of my confusion. The information packed into the first 267 pages is without a doubt very much worth the extra time necessary to read and reread until understanding what has been presented.
The authors have presented the information, including just enough background info to help me understand and pull together all the other stuff I have read into a nice little package.
Now, if only I can figure out which way to point the damn camera....
!
