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random poll: have you ever learned a computer topic primarily by reading a book? (for example something like Rust or React or OpenGL) I'm curious because I struggle a lot with tech books, I almost always read 1 chapter and then give up immediately.

yes
55.9%
no
44.1%

9,426 votesFinal results

466

319

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yes, but it takes a _lot_ of effort. payoff is proportional: i've reached much deeper understanding from reading books and doing exercises as opposed to learning in "pull mode": identify what i need to know, then learn by building. books are "push mode", a bigger challenge.

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that's super interesting -- what's one thing you learned from a book that you don't think you would have learned in 'pull mode'?

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I'll give you two: 1. how Scheme is implemented (Essentials of Programming Languages), and 2. relationships between programming paradigms from Concepts Techniques and Models of Computer Programming (harder to summarize). 1/2

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and

CTMCP is a book which put structure on knowledge I already had for a good part, but totally unstructured. The structure given to what I though already knew was as valuable as the filling of holes which was my goal in reading the book.

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and

In fact, that the same as for a well rounded cursus: the most valuable part is often in what you weren't looking for. The information that you are looking for, you can find it elsewhere relatively easy, especially nowadays in computer related matters.

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and

exactly there's a lot of expert "resolved" knowledge that took a long time to get to resolution via unexpected paths by a lot of people riffing off of each other rediscovery is a good way to learn, but maybe more importantly leads to openness to take in the larger frame

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and

i mean this happens to me so much: not understanding why people take a specific perspective ( it can be simpler, right ?) then realizing that turning the question around was the right thing to do

7:32 PM · Mar 12, 2022Twitter Web App

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and

That's why there is a very narrow opportunity band in rewriting complex program. At first, you don't know enough to valuably second guess the decision (but you do it anyway!), and if you put it back too long, you are too used to the situation to really reconsider the choices.