I love playing drums -- whenever I get a chance, which alas isn't really that often! I think there's no time wasted learning about any instrument, and knowing some basics about drumming is extremely useful when writing songs, working out parts with a drummer, or even if you need to program/play your own drum parts for recording demos and stuff.
I think the learning aids are a lot like with other instruments -- some basic lessons, at least, are useful for getting down fundamental bits of technique and other stuff of the sort that doesn't just come naturally. Like, for example, I've never learned how to do a proper roll on the snare; some in-person guidance from a clueful teacher would probably help me get that down. Then, depending on how far you want to take it, once you've got the basics, you can probably pick up further ideas from books and videos. I've got a few basic books on drumming and drum patterns that I keep handy (admittedly, mostly for helping me get more authentic when programming drum parts for demos, but hey ... :)).
