Just to hammer it home... it SUCKS to fall in love with this game, but end up learning a bunch of bad habits. They hold you back, and it's a real bítch to unlearn them. If you can afford it, learn the fundamentals EARLY from a real instructor.
If you can't, here are some good resources for self-teaching:
BOOKS: 99 critical shots by Ray Martin - a nice quickstart guide to some of the most common shots in any pool game.
DVDS/ONLINE INFO:
http://billiards.colostate.edu/
In my opinion, this is the best pool material out there, and most of it is free on his website. If you don't want to spend so much time digging and reading, order his DVD set instead. It's worth every penny.
I like this guy because he gets deep into why shots work and why they don't. He'll never tell you "do this, don't ask why. It just works. For me at least." He tests people's claims and make sure the info passes both scientific and common sense tests. There's no bad advice or weird superstitions, just rock-solid material you can trust. He also posts on here regularly and will answer questions or point you in the right direction.
Honorable mention:
http://www.bertkinister.com/
This guy can be very engaging, or deadly dull. The quality of the video (both in terms of material and visuals) is all over the place. But you can learn some very good info in here if you happen to stumble on the right videos.
Just two more things I want to add:
- Honestly, even though everyone says "get an instructor", I know 90% of the beginners out there won't. So who do you listen to? Usually your best bet is to get instruction from the best player in the pool hall, if possible. Some people argue you can learn from anyone who plays better than you... and that's true. But the better player is probably also more experienced and has figured out some of the common stumbling blocks players run into. And the weaker players can't teach you what they don't know.
- The biggest obstacle anyone can have to learning pool is a scared attitude. Like "I'm scared of losing" or "I'm scared if I try this shot I'll miss" or "I'm scared if I hit the cue ball that low I'll jump it". You have to make learning more important than winning a single game, or a single match. You cannot be scared to try new things, hit the ball in an uncomfortable way, try a shot someone advises even if you don't like it. A lot of guys reach a mediocre level and then stick to the safe stuff they're comfortable with (including the bad habits they've developed). Don't limit yourself that way!