I have been using this… http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro/Detailing_Your_Simple_Person_2
While it is good i was wondering if this is the actual way used to make a person, or is there a different prefered technique.
The ‘preferred’ technique is the one you prefer.
There is no one true path to blendering. I suggest you try a variety of methods until you find one you like or synthesize one of your own.
If you plan to animate you’ll have to spend some time learning how to arrange things (vertices and edges) to get good deformations, but any modelling technique will fit the bill.