In my personal opinion, for one, if you get serious about fly tying all those cheap tools and vise will not get used in the future as well they are designed for the flies they want you to tie. Look for a good used vice an old thompson is a good one. Buy some good scissors, whipfinisher, hackle pliers, ect. Start out simple I started with wooly buggers, would be surprised with some of the successful wooly bugger patterns one can dream up, that work extraordinarily well! Take it slow, ease into her, you go in the wrong direction it is very easy to get discouraged with fly tying techniques that are over your head! As far as books the fly tyers bench side reference is a must the rest are pretty much patterns, with a few that touch on certain techniques that aren't quite mainstream. As was mentioned above YouTube is very helpful in the demonstration of techniques. Fly tying is a very vast and diverse hobby enjoy it let your creative juices flow, the sky is the limit! If you seen some of my creations you'd think I was on crack, I've got the mad scientist approach avoiding the mainstream totally but, that is the direction I chose. Most of my ties are experiments, evolutions and prototypes in search of the "Holy Grail" of fly patterns. Some my creations extremely successful, like my latest pike fly. Occasionally I will tie a few of the same but rarely they are all usually variations but I ain't gonna find the "Holy Grail" tying a hundred hoppers. Anyway I hope what I said before my rant helps!
oh and one las thing don't limit yourself to North American fly tying techniques, the guys/gals across the pond have some really good patterns ie. the klinkhammer.