the best advice for a beginner is to take it slow and keep it simple.

squat, dead lift, bench press, overhead press. learn those movements inside and out. the power clean is also a great one but it has a high learning curve; you'll wanna know how to deadlift before you do that anyways. learn how to do them, why you're doing them the way you're doing them and not another way, and what the mistakes look like. you're going to want to to this unless you already have an accomplished body building friend to work out with who can spot you. if you don't, all you will most likely find is someone who wants to balance on a medicine ball with one leg with you while you jump up in the air and do inverse bicep curls.

the best book i've ever read on how to teach something was Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore. Buy it and read it 3 times, THEN start lifting.