To add a layer, click on the little icon that looks like a paper at the bottom in your layers palette... to delete a layer, click on the trash-can.

You can add some cool brushes by clicking the little arrow at the top right corner in the brushes palette and select Load Brushes. Find your Photoshop 5 folder (usually in the Program files/Adobe) and select goodies/ brushes and assorted brushes

You can easily customize your working palettes just by dragging one palette to another... In that way you won't have so many palettes to keep track on, and it will also take up less working space.

Layers effects is great and you can use it for a lot of things.... check out the Layers effect section to read more about it.

When you want to add an effect on a layer just rightclick on the layer in the layers palette and select effects.

If you want to copy one effect from one layer to another chose copy effect,  right click on the layer you want to apply it on and chose paste effect.

If you want to remove all effects on a layer chose clear effects.

If you want the effects, but you don't want to see it at the moment, chose hide effects.