I took a similar path or reading a few books before starting actually playing, and I've found that experience really is a necessary teacher. I felt like I understood the concepts in the book, but it took a while to see how those concepts applied to real-game situations. In my last few months of playing online, I've had dozens of, "oh, so THAT's what he was talking about!" moments.

On top of that, knowing how to play and actually doing it aren't the same. I've had quite a few times where I look at my hand, know it isn't good, but then look at the pot and think, "awe gee, I'd REALLY like to win that", and end up calling to the river only to lose. Then one time I catch a runner-runner and try to convince myself I made the right decision to call, and start looking to catch runner-runner. "Well, I think he's got three of a kind, but if the next two cards are both hearts, I might have a shot at this..."

So, good job for doing your homework before you start, but I'd still recommend starting out at the lowest levels, wait till you have some success there, wait just a bit long to make sure it wasn't a fluke, then repeat at the next level, one step at a time. Don't worry, the $50 NL tables aren't going anywhere, they'll be there when you're ready.