Maybe my original question was too vague. Let me rephrase it:

How did each of YOU learn to sail? Did you learn from reading a book? Did a friend teach you? Did you attend an organized learn-to-sail program at a community sailing center or yacht club? Did you just go out and teach yourself by trial and error? Did you learn by first crewing for someone? Did you originally learn on a monohull or on a multihull? On a small boat or a big boat?