Well i'm new to shadowrun but not to roleplaying games. i've been playing D&D on and off for 5 years now and the d20 system is all i know. *listens for groans of disdain*
Now this may seem like a seemingly stupid question but to learn shadowrun the easiest how do you approach it? is there an order you can read the chapters that makes it easier then trying out certain things to put things into practice becuase to tell the truth i'm the only one i know that plays this game in my town or anywhere near me for that matter so i guess if anyones Gming it will be me so i have to learn quickly and effectively.
So if anyone can suggest some exercises i can do after reading certain sections to help me along i'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Read the chapters in order. In fact, use time to use the chapters to make a variety of characters. Don't be afraid to reference the book.

Read the background stories, study the timeline, and learn the physical combat system first. Integrate the more esoteric (magic, matrix, rigging) functions later. I also recommend making up a character, some opponents, and doing a dry run for yourself or with one friend for each of the areas I mentioned above before you try to run it in the game.

Add complexity only after you are comfortable with the core rules.

In fact, I'd advise leaving rigging and decking for last. They can be the most cumbersome and least used of all the rulesets, and I'd learn the other stuff before getting into them.

Also, if you're used to D20, you're used to well organized, accessible books. Unfortunately, you won't get that with Shadowrun, so don't be surprised if things come a bit slower. Regardless of how you feel about Shadowrun, there's really no denying that it can really be a mess some(often)times.

Also also, do not forget the search function on these forums. A lot of questions you will have have probably been addressed before. Then again, teh search function's pretty dodgy, so don't think you can rely on it. Past that, just dig into the books and don't be afraid to ask questions. Everyone's got to start somewhere.

yeahyour right about the d20 stuff but atm i'm majorly disgruntled with d20 system. and truthfully i've owned my Shadowrun books longer than my dnd ones and truthfully i'm not as new to shadowrun as you think i only said i'm new becuase i know aslittle as a newb would anyway. I only own SR3 and New Seattle by the way and i've never really played. I guessi siad that i was new without beating around the bush was that i never got to learn the rules or never managed to in the past and what i did learn was so long ago that i dont remember.

What is wrong with d20? I run two campaigns with the same people, and I like both systems a lot. d20 has much simpler combat, and I personally feel that the d20 combat is more "rewarding." Nothing beats the feeling of getting a +4 vorpal longsword...

At the same time, I like the gritty corporate controlled future portrayed in shadowrun, and the possiblity for some AWESOME "Heist," and "Leon the Professional" antics....

Either way, read through everything but Magic, Decking, and Rigging. Then after you have read the SR3 book and have a decent understanding, (not a perfect understanding, but enough that you know where to look in the book to find the rules you are unsure about), then you can go back and read through the Magic section, then the Decking, then the Rigging.

To d20, or not to d20, that is the question. I play d20, but I have to say, as a player, I find the rules a bit stifling to character creativity. d20 can be fun,, and I've had a great deal of fun playing it, but in the end everything comes down to twinking your character to avoid being turned into a grease spot. I love games like shadowrun and White Wolf (Old one, haven't played new WOD yet), where with a little creativity, a scrub still has some hope in combat. Also, remember, in Shadowrun, no matter how powerful you become, a Ganger with an Ares Predator can potentially be just as deadly as when you first started with your character. In d20, a goblin will only be a challenge to a high level character if it is the mate of a red dragon (Damn Shrek!!!). The hard thing about shadowrun will be finding folks that will dig it for the reasons we've all mentioned. It is a much less straight forward game. I run mine with a pretty dystopian edge, and while I don't consider myself a PC Killa I do tend to stack the deck against the Runners so that they truly feel like they've done something special if they succeed. Also, not succeeding in Shadowrun shouldn't be as disastrous like in a d20 fantasy setting where there is usually a big bad threat the heros are supposed to stop. Usually, the PC's may be working for someone worse than the people they are running against. Welcome to the dark side friend, just don't forget to "Read The Books!!"

Now now, they've been coming up with some pretty good stuff lately. A lot of the Eberon campaign setting, for instance, is really cool (artificers rule!), and the new warlock base class in Complete Arcane is what I always wanted to see from the Sorcerer. They do have some problems with game balance and power creep--anyone who's ever looked at the Hulking Hurler PrC or the so-called Cheater of Mystra on the Wizard's forums can certainly attest to that--but it's surprisingly well put together. As mentioned above, the folks at Fanpro can certainly learn a thing or to about organizing a sourcebook from the editors at Wizards.

Change is good.

Read the chapters in order. Try and soak up a little atmosphere. Feel free to skip the Rigging and Decking chapters the first time through if they make your head start to spin.

My advice is make a few characters. Get a few friends together and just have a few practice fights to get the feel for the rules. Try and come up with a few fun situations to try out the other rules. I've found that trying to learn the game with a 'real' character can be a lot less fun, especially if something you don't understand gets you geeked.

I agree that you should make a few characters and set them against each other to learn the basics. You should probably also grab a few random vehicles and do some vehicular combat / chase scenes to help get used to SR's abstract vehicle system.

I would personally leave decking out altogether. It takes a lot of work on the part of the GM to make sure that having a decker in the party doesn't leave most of the characters sitting around and waiting. You'll have quite a bit on your hands already. Later when you know the system, you can decide if you want deckers or not.

I would also go to fanpro's site (www.shadowrunrpg.com) and download either The Family Jewel or Mission #1: Mission Briefing. Both of those are meant to be simple, straightforward runs designed to help new people learn the ropes.

Also, Mr. Johnson's Little Black Book can be a handy tool for a beginning GM, with on the fly run creation, setting creation, etc. It also delves a little into whatt he developers felt/feel that SR is about, regardless of what you will turn it into for your gaming groups fun.

You might find the crib sheets I created useful. They can be found on my minisite here.

Thankyou for all the help people, i'm going to pick up that Mr Johnstons Little black book next friday. thanks for the suggestion