Some people say “Reverse Engineering is an art”. Well, this might be true if you consider stuff like mathematics as art. It is more an application of standard methods that evolve constantly. Actually, everybody can learn these methods and start to RE executables. With the RE-Google plugin for IDA Pro, even your granny can start reversing :)
Reverse engineering is like solving a jigsaw puzzle. In order to see the whole picture you need to find the corner pieces, then the frame, and then work your way forward from there.