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I finished this book a couple of weeks ago,and I liked it.https://www.amazon.com/Pinball-Machine-Maintenance-Kamoroff-2015-08-02/dp/B01K2E8X52
Now I have a better idea about some of the workings of a Pinball machine. With all of the information here and on the internet,I wouldn't say it's a must buy,but I did enjoy the book.
Check ebay too, I found it a little cheaper there.
Quoted from kevmad:Welcome to the hobby. No need to take a class. The best resources are on the web, including this site. The most important tool in your arsenal is patience and a willingness to learn. Nine years ago, I bought my first pin with no knowledge of anything, and now I have 16 and am able to repair almost any issue.
As others have mentioned, you will need basic tools, like a multimeter, soldering iron, screw drivers, nut drivers, wrenches, etc. They are all things you can pick up at Home Depot.
Take the plunge and buy a game you like. If it is an older game (1990's) then you will probably need to do some maintenance/repair on it. It is not rocket science. Anyone with patience can do it.
Here are some excellent resources. I suggest you study these carefully. They have a ton of useful info. If they are useful, please make a donation to those to keep them running (I am not affiliated with them in any way).
http://www.pinwiki.com
http://www.pinrepair.com/begin/index.htm
Just picked up a Craftsman 7 piece nut driver set. It's on sale for 21.99.
Quoted from CaptainRedEye:My aunt had a Magic Town (maybe it was Magic City) that I played non-stop. I loved it, but I’m also drawn to the games of my teenage years, like Terminator 2. I dig both old and new, but probably lean toward newer.
Make sure you still like Terminator 2.During my research phase for my first game,I read all kinds of stuff about pinball. The one article that really struck a chord with me, was the one that said"Be careful about buying a game that you enjoyed when you were younger,because your taste may have changed".I really thought that I wanted to buy a "Flying Carpet Pinball" for my first game,until I tried one at the Pinfest.That would have been a big mistake,because it wasn't as great as I remember. It seems like I now prefer the modern games, over the ones I played when I was a kid.
If I had the room,I'd love to buy a "Flying Carpet" just to fool around with,and learn pinball repair on.But I don't have very much room,so I had to be very careful with picking my first pinball machine . For some reason, I still look on Craigslist for a "Flying Carpet" 
I guess I'm just sentimental.
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Gilbertsville, PA