Agreed, IF you are wanting a commercial release master. Nothing wrong with experimenting and learning how to master though. Eventually all the "pros" will die. If no one else ever learns how to master, our future is a world filled with unmastered CDs...
Anyway, Bob Katz is an invaluable resource for understanding mastering in general. Above all, you need good ears and a good monitoring system. If you have that, a lot of the mastering process will probably come naturally to you.
Good luck,
Dirk