Amateur radio is a licensed radio service that lets ordinary people build, operate and experiment with two-way radio. This section is the shortest path from "I have never touched a radio" to "I am on the air".
Work through the pages in order, or jump to whatever you are stuck on. Nothing here assumes any electronics background, and nothing here costs money to read.
If you would rather have the plain-English version with pictures and no jargon at all, visit whatishamradio.com — this wiki is the deeper reference behind it.