3ds Max :: Creating Bitmap Image Onto A Plane

I just downloaded 2013, and I am trying to learn how to use it through a book to work with my future school designs. I, of course, have little assignments to do to learn how to work the basics of this program. I am at the point where I am creating a bitmap image onto a plane. I worked it the book's way, and the selected plane did not change to the image I chose; it remained a gray color. I then looked up tutorials online and have the same results. The material editor is changing, but not in the viewport.