“Reading is your first line of defense against an empty head” - Twyla Tharp
Why books?
In a world full of instant information, gratification, and possibilities it can feel slow and suboptimal to take the time to read. As more and more of the world gravitates towards video tutorials and demo codes it can be easy to neglect books and the value they hold. Whether you decide to use e-books or physical copies you can easily utilize books in order to unlock your web development potential. In this post we will be exploring the benefits books can provide you and why they are my learning tool of choice.
Setting the Pace
While video tutorials may be the fastest way to get information, they may also present information faster than you can keep up with. At the expense of information retention, we feel obligated to keep up with instructors. What a book allows you to do is to read and apply information at your own pace without the hassle of clicking pause or replaying clips of a video. By eliminating the pressure to keep up and the hassle of constantly clicking, you are better able to focus on the information in front of you. Increased focus can help result in increased retention. This ability to retain information can show its value when needing to recall it for projects.
Emphasis on Communication
As the complexity of code increases, so does the pressure for instructors to speed up their explanation in order to reduce the already very long recording time. Following the shortened explanations is the lack of detail when explaining a given concept. A result I have noticed in tutorials and courses is an instructor telling you what to code without explaining WHY we are coding it. For beginner courses this is a very lethal trap to your web development journey. Information is only as good as your ability to apply it. If you know typing a “div” creates a division element but you do not know how to incorporate it into a project, knowing the element name does not really serve a purpose to you. Reading books is always full of detailed explanations, as that is their main source of communication. Sure detailed pictures are great for visual learners, but with something as complex as working with code what you say matters.
Reducing Screen Time
We have all heard too much screen time is not good for you. However, we may not all know the effects of long-duration screen time. Too much screen time can result in headaches, eye strain, dry eyes, and blurred vision. Physical copies of books give us some relief. Displayed content is not moving/flashing and light is not being placed directly on your eyes, resulting in less eye strain. This can be the much needed relief your eyes needed. For one month try to give a book a read instead of a tutorial in order to see how reading can benefit your eyes. If you are a beginner to web development you can start with this article, which outlines the top four books for learning web development.
Tangible Progress
There is no greater sense of achievement than being able to see visible progress in your journey. Books give you that sense of achievement. From counting the page numbers, seeing the number of books you have completed, or seeing how little left you have to go, a physical copy of a book gives you that visual of where you were and where you are now. Opening a previously read book and seeing where you used to be is very humbling. Everyone started with knowing nothing and it is astonishing to see how far you have come just by opening a book you have read before.
More Books More Money
With books becoming the less preferred option for learning by the many who feel books are suboptimal, books have been easier to find at low costs. Stores and websites are dedicated to selling pre-owned books and you can easily find pre-owned books on websites/apps such as Amazon. With the chase for monetizing online content, courses can cost you hundreds of dollars. Pre-owned books can be very inexpensive and (if you decide to) can be resold for the same value as when they were purchased. Just because you are learning concepts for a high demand industry does not mean you have to go broke doing so.
Conclusion
Reading books is a valuable tool when learning web development. By deciding to read a book instead of online learning you can set the pace of your learning which can aid in your information retention. In any curriculum what is said matters and books focus heavily on explanations. Partaking in a career field that requires a lot of time staring at a screen can cause many uncomfortable side effects. By taking some time away from the screen while still learning through reading you can reduce these uncomfortable side effects. Physical copies of books give you the advantage of tangible progress. Whether you track by pages, books, or chapters, books give you a physical means of seeing and feeling the amount of information you have gone through. Just because books give you high quality information does not mean you have to go broke getting it. Pre-owned books are perfect for getting very inexpensive information.
Summary of Essential Skills
- Books allow you to pace your own learning and improve retention
- Books focus primarily on words and explanations allowing proper communication
- Books allow you to learn without facing a screen helping reduce screen time
- Books provide tangible progress that can increase motivation
- Books can save you money by providing inexpensive ways of purchasing them