Need Advice for building character

I'm pretty new when it comes to D2. I played the first act a year ago on my brother's computer while I was visiting him, but it wasn't LOD and I havn't played since. Recently I bought the D2 battle chest and was surprised to find that the strategy guide was mostly devoid of important information for building charactors such as exactly what the different stats and magic effects do, and which kinds of attacks they affect. Advice and links are appreciated.

Edit:

My current char is a lvl 17 Sorc with all the available lightning skills so far and significant investments in charged bolt, warmth, and static field. I am mostly interested in general information, but advice related to my current char is also appreciated.