no better way to learn than giving it a go.
buy a manual for you car.
Start by changing brake pads, or if your not up to that stage start by taking off your wheels and putting them back on again.
once you learn how to swing a wrench and a spanner your set.
another good way is to go and visit your local pick-a-part wrecker, just dont drop a car on your leg while your doin it.
ive just learnt by doin exactly that, started off by doin small jobs with dad and my mates, and after reading more and more you get an idea on how things work.
there is nothing more important than getting a manual for your car, dont listen to internet forums in regards to technical knowledge, they are a good reference to check but the manual is always right.
btw what kind of work are you talking about?
oh yer good tools are good but not completely necessary, go buy a decent socket set (sidchrome 100$ job will be awesome) then just go crappy spanners and screwdrivers from supercheap, they will get you by (maybe one decent phillips head...). thats all i use and ive done almost every "job" on a car and been fine.
oh yer im in my final year of mechanical engineering at uni, so ive kinda always liked mechanical things so that makes it easier.