Konyaha, I hope you find this game as much fun as we do. I remember getting a good idea of what would happen in play by reading the Player's Handbook, in the manner Deset described, and by being able to talk to a couple of people who had played. When I took part in my first game, I felt I had quite a good grasp of the kinds of things my character could and would do.
I suppose all I'm saying is, you're in the right place.
Anyway, to the matter of your barbarian. First, you need to choose a race. Races can determine modifiers to ability score rolls. Different races have modifiers to different ability scores. Let's take a half-orc, for example. Half-orcs receive +2 to their strength ability roll and -2 to their intelligence and charisma ability rolls. That tends to make half-orcs strong, not so intelligent, and not really that hot in the personality department. But being liked for your looks or known for your ability to read and write five languages aren't really high up on a typical barbarian's agenda. In fact, your heroic barbarian doesn't even need to know what an agenda is.
If, on the other hand, you want your barbarian to be invited to all the right parties and to know what to do when violence isn't absolutely called for, it might be better to consider making him human. If you just want to try something in-between, a dwarf might not be a bad idea.
When it comes to assigning skill points, it's worth taking the book's advice, and concentrating on being the best you can be at a few things, at least, to begin with. Have fun choosing your feats, too. It's worth taking a look at feats that complement what your character's already good at.
Playing the new Basic Game isn't a bad idea at all but, if you want to dive right in with the PHB, go ahead. Many others have done so.
.
