It's very easy to get a ham license now. There are two good books out there for the entry level tech license. The ARRL book is for those who want a bit more depth. The Gordon West book is for those that want to know the answers to the questions.
The tech test consists of 35 multiple choice questions. They are drawn from a pool of around 300 questions (all are published with the correct answers). Passing is 26 correct. Tests are given by hams who are certified as examiners. In Maine (not exactly densely populated) you can find at least one test session a month within easy driving distance. Cost for the exam (and license) is $15 and the license is good for 10 years and is renewable.
Excellent on-line tests are also available at qrz.com. I've helped several people get their first licenses so far this year and expect to have over a dozen by year's end. One woman I know with no technical knowledge just got her license with about 2 week's of study. Got one wrong on the test.
Most of the people I know who have gotten licenses recently did it for emergency communications purposes. (SHTF or the general issue of addressing communications outages due to storms and the like).
Thank you.