Tim,
What type of homebuilt was the book referring to? Did it include composite/carbonfibre construction? A lot of these new kits (Glasair, Ban-Bi, etc) come with ready-assembled wings, fuse etc... it can be a lot easier then you think apparently. But not as easy as Airfixing it and bolting on the engine. I'll do a high-perf in in the next 5 years or so, and my tech skills aren't at all great - because it's a lot of fun to learn.
Conf