I'd like to recommend Bread Alone by Daniel Leader. Great foreword about how he came to get some of his equipment and succinctly express his love of baking. Excellent recipes too. If you can stick your nose into one at a Barnes & Noble, perhaps you could make a quick evaluation as to whether it would complement your fact-finding.
In the realm of equipment, procuring unnecessary mammoth pieces is just as much a sin as not starting big enough. The Polly-O (Italian Cheese) company of New York is a typical example of how a buying spree killed a family business. The elder Pollio (the actual family name) did a rip roaring business out of a facility on Fountain Avenue. The kids got hold of the business after he passed on and insisted on acquiring a huge plant facility. Kraft swooped in and gobbled up the company after the kids lost large sums of money buying equipment and space they didn't need.
Also, you can get second hand equipment that was sold by failed businesses for a song, compared to new. You need to scope out reputable second-hand restaurant equipment establishments - this could save you lots of $$$. (There needs to be some type of warranty attached to large equipment...if not, go somewhere else.)
Good luck! :chef:
