Let's start with the basics...

Taste! Taste! Taste!
It's all about tasting, which goes beyond taste buds.
Tasting actually involves 3 of our senses:
Sight, Smell and Taste.
This applies to all beers(as with wine). You can do this with everything from Budweiser to Dogfish Head...and learn pretty quickly what you like and don't like.

There is also bare ware to use with beer besides the classic pint glass.
Usually, you want a glass that lets you smell your beer- the better it is for you to get a good nose and actually smell the beer as you are drinking it.
However, there are particular glasses made for different types of beer.
You can read more about these glasses here on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_glass

I find that just using a Tulip glass is the easiest and gives you the right aroma/head for tastings.

Now just go to your local beer store and just buy a bunch of different types of beer and set them up for a tasting with your friends. What do you smell? What do you taste? It's always fun to buy a mass produced beer like Budweiser and compare to the other beers (you will notice a large lack of flavor).

Beer, of all things, should not be intimidating. You aren't going to do anything wrong and you will find that people love to talk about beer (especially men) and help you out.
This will give you your first lesson in tasting beer.

*Right now, I am drinking a good go to classic- Red Seal Ale by North Coast Brewery in Mendocino California. This is a beautiful copper red pale ale, a little hoppy, a hint of spiciness and a nice light floral aroma. A good classic drinking ale (with actual flavor!)
This is usually a staple in our home. It's not that uncommon and it's reasonably priced around $9 for a 6 pack.