Thank you, Sandra, for your kind words.
The question you ask is a complex one, but I will try to answer it simply.
First of all, for political and safety reasons - it is impossible to rebuild the Temple today. The Jewish people do not have control over the Temple Mount - and to take control of it would be to destroy another people's holy place.
Second, people today would not be permitted to enter the most Holy of Holies place. We are ritually impure and do not have the means to achieve higher purity status. We are also not in the proper state to have the Temple rebuilt - meaning we are "not doing things properly". It is said that if every Jewish person would observe Shabbat, the Messiah would come and the Temple would be rebuilt. But, many of us are not living according to G-d's ways.
There are many other 'necessary items' (ritual objects, for example) that we no longer have in our possession or know how to perfectly define or recreate them.
Furthermore, I believe that the Holy Temple cannot be rebuilt until all the Jewish people have returned to the Land of Israel.
When Messiah comes, the Temple will be rebuilt.
I know that many people who are just beginning with Jewish learning read books by Dennis Prager. He has several books, and I do not know a specific one to recommend but I think you can select one by looking at the titles.
Hayim Donin also has a book How To Be A Jew that may be a more traditional and halachic (Jewish law) read than a Dennis Prager book.
