Studying books from cover to cover

In summary, the person does not study the book from cover to cover, but does use it for understanding the course material.
  • #1
median27
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Do you still study your book from cover to cover even if some of its topic were not included in your course syllabus (just finding those topics essential but not required)?

Do you study them during weekends, holidays, or vacati0ns?

Im just curious.
 
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  • #2
median27 said:
Do you still study your book from cover to cover even if some of its topic were not included in your course syllabus (just finding those topics essential but not required)?

Do you study them during weekends, holidays, or vacati0ns?

Im just curious.

This is just my view but personally I'd rather on a problem that's related to what I'm doing than just doing all textbook problems.

Like when I used to do heavy coding, I'd build libraries for use in my own projects. So for example I wrote a scripting framework that was similar to XML, and the framework abstracted away the script execution so that custom code would turn a script block definition into a binary resource managed by a resource manager. The script manager used a resource manager for resource management, a protocol layer built into the resource manager managed syncing and distributed management while the script system used the kind of stuff in a CORBA model to link class factories to run-time DLLs and then provide one-to-one functionality between resource and script (ie all resources export their text script-definition and all script-definitions export a binary resource). This kind of thing took a while but it was easy for me to be motivated about it and that made a big difference.

That was a real problem and I had to think about things from design to implementation.

I couldn't find the motivation to do all problems from start to end in a book. For people that can do it, then that's all good too, but I would lose interest. Real problems are a lot easier to get motivated for even if they are significantly harder than textbook problems.

Also I should point out that some problems out there that are not in a textbook can be just as or even more valuable. Problems that may take months or years to solve can bring about results that really dwarf those of a textbook problem. It's definitely going to be easier in a lot of cases to work on those with the right motivation/mindset and the potential rewards of those kind of problems (especially if you solved or made any kind of breakthrough) would easily trump that of solving a standard text-book problem.
 
  • #3
median27 said:
Do you still study your book from cover to cover even if some of its topic were not included in your course syllabus (just finding those topics essential but not required)?
Not me; I feel like I don't have time for that. I have an upper undergrad course that uses parts of the first half (for this semester) of Jackson's book. This would be totally insane for me to try to understand the entire book, alone.
In numerical analysis our professor follows more or less Kincaid's book. Again we see less topics than the book covers. I can of course read about the extra topics but I don't have time to fully read them all and then do all the exercises.
I usually uses book to understand my courses and I don't need to read extra chapters most of the time. If I don't understand something I'd use the Internet.
 

What is the purpose of studying books from cover to cover?

Studying books from cover to cover allows for a comprehensive understanding of the content and context of the book. It helps readers develop critical thinking skills and gain a deeper insight into the author's message.

How can studying books from cover to cover improve my knowledge?

By studying books from cover to cover, readers are exposed to a variety of ideas, concepts, and perspectives, which can broaden their knowledge and understanding of a particular subject. It also allows for a more in-depth analysis of the information presented in the book.

Is it necessary to study books from cover to cover?

It depends on the purpose of your study. If you are looking for a general understanding of the book, skimming or reading selected chapters may suffice. However, if you want a thorough understanding, studying from cover to cover is recommended.

How can I effectively study a book from cover to cover?

Start by setting a reading schedule and break the book into smaller sections to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Take notes, highlight important points, and actively engage with the material by asking questions and making connections. It's also helpful to discuss the book with others or join a book club to gain different perspectives.

Can studying books from cover to cover improve my reading and comprehension skills?

Yes, studying books from cover to cover can improve both reading and comprehension skills. By actively engaging with the material and practicing close reading techniques, readers can develop a better understanding of the text and improve their reading speed and retention.

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