I'm fond of the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZ12X14/) but there are other good ones.

I breezed through the technical questions, and I'm a software engineer that dabbles in electronics. I only had a hard time when I got to Extra, but even that should be pretty easy for you.

Yes, the bands and the regulations are the tough part. The oddball ones that seem so arbitrary are a tiny part of the arbitrary things that are known. I think what they do is give you a taste that those sort of things need to be thought about, so you know to look them up when you need it. Like, that different antennas do different things.

You might also consider joining a radio club. The reason there are a lot of tests is there are a lot of clubs, with different focuses. I joined the nearest one to me, and I've been having a lot of fun.

It has been mentioned that you cannot use amature radio without a license. That is partially correct.

In an Emergency you may use ANY Radio to call for help. Legally.

A technician class license, which will allow you to use the 2 meter and 440 band, is easy to obtain, just study the license pool and pay the volunteer examiners fee (less than $20.00) and pass the test. That's it. . It's good for 10 years and is free to renew. There is no longer any morse code required.

2 meter is generally a better choice if you are in a mountainous area, but another band 6 meters is even better. (the lower the frequency the less line of sight it is.)

The question pool for all classes are found here:

http://www.arrl.org/question-pools

The above site also has the question pools for other classes. General class lets you use the short wave bands and have worldwide access.

In my case, 2 meter came in really handy after the Oklahoma city MAy 3, 1999 tornado, after which many people found out to their chagrin that cell phones did not work, nor did the regular phone lines either.

Wesley K0WHH

If I was in an emergency situation, I wouldn't care if it was "legal" for me to use a particular radio or not. That thought wouldn't even cross my mind. And if for some reason it did, it would be dismissed rapidly. My concern in an emergency would be "Do I know enough about this to use it effectively?", not, "Is it legal for me to use it?"

I checked out the ARRL book from my local library. Got about half way through it before I had to return it. No re-checking it out immediately due to a wait list on it. I'm now on the wait list to get it back, so I can finish it and go take the test. It took a couple of months to get through the wait list the first time I got the book.

After reading half the book, I see no reason to buy it so I can have my own copy. And I'm in no hurry to get a license. So I'll wait...

The goTenna is meant for setting up a communication network. So probably the situation does not count as an emergency. However authorities may be stricter about keeping the frequencies free.
I am totally with you about recommending to get an amateur radio license.