Places to start:
Online: http://briem.net/
Offline: Walter Tracy's "Letters of Credit"

Program:
Metrics Machine: http://tools.typesupply.com/metricsmachine.html

Always look at three glyphs, never two. Although you can only kern one glyph against another, you need the third glyph for context.

The best program to do kerning in is the one you designed your type in.

Do not automate the process, you will not learn very much if you rely on automatic tools.

Before you even begin to kern, make sure your glyph metrics are as perfect as they can be.

Don't hesitate to redraw the glyph if you cannot get it spaced or kerned satisfactorily.

Use your eyes.

>Always look at three glyphs, never two.

Yes, that's something I've only recently learned for getting glyph metrics right even before kerning. Even better, look at a string of letters.