Welcome! As you already know, this forum is full of folks who are passionate about wooden canoes, and are more than happy to get you going in the right direction. Everybody here started right where you are now, so the only dumb question is the one you don't ask...
Insanity? Look at it this way: some folks deal with life's travails by abusing alcohol, illicit drugs, or the people closest to them. Folks here paddle canoes, work on canoes, talk about canoes. It's a substantially less destructive behavior, and there's a lot more fun involved! Freedom and adventure are definitely a part of that.
What kind of canoe are you looking at building? Jerry Stelmok & Rollin Thurlow's book, "The Wood And Canvas Canoe" is regarded as the Bible of W/C canoe building/repairing, and is available in the WCHA store
http://woodencanoe.org/catalog/index.php?cPath=92&osCsid=eacefa29b547ada5b6e87499152436d5
Also in the store, you'll find a great collection of books on cedar strippers (strip & 'glass), wood strip boats, and realted materials, all of which are very interesting.
Whereabouts is "home" now? You may find others in your area who share this passion, and may be willing to help with some hands-on activities.
Again, Welcome! We'll look forward to hearing from you more, and seeing pictures of progress. We love pictures!