I have installed most of the laminate in my house and I would definitely recommend getting a "laminate kit". You can pick this up at Home Depot or any hardware store. It contains spacers, the block to hit to put the laminate in place, and a flat hook designed so that in the narrow places you can "hook" the laminate and hit the other end of the hook with the hammer to put the flooring in place.

If you are using a jigsaw to cut the laminate there are special blades for laminate flooring (they last longer than regular jigsaw blades).

You should also consider getting quarter-round to finish off the edges of the room (and hide the expansion space). This is normally sold where you get the flooring.

And most important, www.hgtv.com, has REALLY good instructions for laying the flooring.