Writing code without guidance is probably the slowest way you can learn something. A good book or class will save you countless hours living with the consequences of your naive mistakes. Good writers and trainers forewarn people about pitfalls by providing fair warning about common mistakes. Better writers and trainers instill good mental models that timeless help the reader solve problems.
I'll agree that there are plenty of bad books that give bad advice. The solution isn't to say books are a waste of time. The solution is to recommend better books.
Writing code without guidance is probably the slowest way you can learn something. A good book or class will save you countless hours living with the consequences of your naive mistakes. Good writers and trainers forewarn people about pitfalls by providing fair warning about common mistakes. Better writers and trainers instill good mental models that timeless help the reader solve problems.
I'll agree that there are plenty of bad books that give bad advice. The solution isn't to say books are a waste of time. The solution is to recommend better books.