I second this. Seriously the best textbook on systems programming I've worked through especially when accompanied with the famous CMU labs[0]. Anyone who works thoroughly through this book can become a master systems programmer.
Sure! I recommend sitting with the book, a pen, and a notebook at a cafe or wherever you like and write solutions to the practice problems you see sprinkled in each chapter as you read every single word. Then choose a few of the homework problems and do those, some will require a computer. Most of all, work through the labs and don't cheat yourself by looking at other (probably not very good) solutions posted online! Solving the labs with the textbook and TLPI[0] as a reference is how I got the most out of the course. A list of the assignments, as they're done at CMU, is posted below[1]. Good luck!
[0]: http://csapp.cs.cmu.edu/3e/labs.html