Have you already got your snake? If not, you are doing the right thing by researching FIRST. You'd be surprised at how many people buy a snake, then try to figure out how to care for it. If your other snake only lived a month, I'd say something was already wrong with it when you got it.
One more recommendation: The Cornsnake Manual, by Kathy Love, or the newer version which has a slightly different title. You'll find everything you need to know in those books.