From what I understand, the Alan Lacer's 'Skew Chisel' and 'Son of Skew' are both good. I've not seen either, but have employed aspects of both to my 'hit and miss' version of skewing that I learned from piecing things together here and elsewhere. The skew is not a tool to play around with if you're trying to learn and simultaneously produce successful turnings.
When learning the skew myself (in the way it was designed to be used), I went through some really scary moments when it grabbed and caught, but now that I've learned how to use it, most of the time it's the only tool I use for pens. I haven't used a gouge or scraper for a long time, on pens at least. Learn it, love it...but don't fear it, just stay safe and go for it! Use some scrap wood, though. When you make an 'oops' with a skew, it's usually a blank-killer.
I also recommend learning how to cuss at it. heh
