Eric:
If Steve was not correct, and if what you are interested in are control line planes, you might want to get a copy of "Building and Flying Control Line Model Aircraft" published by Carstens Publications (call 800-474-6995 to order). This is anything but an exhaustive treatise on the subject, but it will give you some idea about what is involved in a control line plane.
To get a broad feel about what the whole range of model aircraft is, go to your local hobby shop and pick up a copy of "Flying Models" magazine. That will inspire you to try about 17 different things at once.
Good luck whatever you decide to do.
Peter Hess