[BadassFractal]

I could definitely relate to the whole "let me start with a 1500 page tome". I also tried my luck with a Visual C++ brick about 10 years ago, that worked out exactly as described in the article. To some extent I don't feel those books were ever meant for total beginners.

[kragen]

They aren't meant for people to read. They're meant to sell. Read the highly-entertaining and no doubt at least partly accurate explanation in http://philip.greenspun.com/wtr/dead-trees/story under the subhead "Flaming Summary: Why Computer Books Suck."