hmm...
1. considering the size of your camera, I'd say definitely use a tripod. Small cameras, even those with image stabilizers tend to shake obnoxiously too much. I have a canon hv20 and didnt own a tripod until recently and that took a serious toll on the quality of my work.
2. the books you should read depends on what you want to do. Since you say editing, and I assume using Final Cut Pro there is a quick and easy book called "The Focal Easy Guide to Final Cut Pro" by Rick Young, which has a good solid intro for begginers.
3. the last tip is a personal opinion and i've observed it through photography mostly. when I put my camera away, something amazing happens. so get in the habit of whipping your camera out as fast as possible cause you never know when some "crazy" is gonna happen.
judging by the timing of your shoot, I'd say your notion of crazy is some girls gone wild type stuff, but hey, whatever who am I to judge!
