greetings good folks!

I'm having serious problems getting my head round hypershade! I'm pretty new to the marvellous world of maya (i'm starting with 4.5) and feel that i am getting to grips with modelling at a satisfactory rate but when it comes to adding colour, texture & lights to a model my brain siezes up and i just don't get it!! i was hoping that someone might point me in the direction of an idiots guide, something written in laymans terms, in order to help. Any assistance would be much apppreciated. Thanks in advance,

Mat.