Newbie Questions

Hi, I am a GNU/Linux newbie and I love the idea behind CRUX. This KISS attitude is definitely my kind of thinking. So with that in mind I have a few questions. How difficult is installing CRUX (with the manual) compared to installing Gentoo or Linux From Scratch? What window manager do you all use and why? I've only slightly played around with Gnome and KDE but I feel they're too bloated. Well that's it for now. I'm looking forward to venturing into GNU/ Linux and possibly building my own system. Thanks in advance, Jeremy