Ripple got some, now what do I do

[vite]

Unlike many others I am not in a hurry to go out and sell the gift that was given to me.
I interested in understanding and learning how to develop ideas. Can anyone point me to good reading material to understand how this system works, and at this point I strongly think it can be a great compliment to bitcoins and currency in general. Put it in off topic cause I wasn't sure were I should start.
From my take on the client and monetary system, its a web of trust at a multilevel scale.
Therefore you can get private arrangement and adjust your weboftrust accordingly.