Can you recommend a basic car book or website

Most books and videos want to go into more detail than you're looking for, I suspect. You might be better off just asking for advice here as needed.

I know this is common, but don't assume you're going to be ripped off. Mechanics and owners speak different languages and things get mixed up in translation all the time. Strike one.

Most shops and most mechanics will recommend different services and parts costing different amounts. Some are looking out for your wallet right now and they're trying to be less expensive than their competitors. The lowest price isn't always the best value. Some mechanics are looking out for your best interests long term and will give you a higher repair estimate. Most people just assume they're being ripped of by the higher price. Strike two. You need to compare what both shops are going to do and the parts they're going to replace, if known.

There's lots of different prices on replacement parts too. Sometimes cheap is fine. Sometimes cheap means it will fix the problem right now but not last as long. Strike three. There's a whole pile of similar things that gives the appearance of being "ripped off". Many shops go out of their way with women to prevent giving that impression but some shops just treat you like any other customer.

If you just go to youtube and search the subject that you are looking for, you will come up with dozens of instructional videos. The problem is, anyone can post a video so the is o basis for credibility with them. There are a number of instructional pages on this site.