[mimimimi]

My advice would be that if you really want to learn something then you have to do it. The book is a reference but there is no substitute for on hands training. Unless all you want to learn is facts like an encyclopedia, which I guess is ok but I find it hard to see as a good method to learn something deeply.

[TeMPOraL]

True - doing is an important part. But good (and hard) books are not like encyclopedias - they're not a collection of facts, they're also a way to discover and internalize author's mental model. You get to learn the connection between the facts and their relative importance. I feel it's something that later greatly aids you in the "doing" phase.

[pmoriarty]

What would you have to do in order to learn what was in Crime and Punishment if you didn't read it?