I started programming long before the internet and read cover to cover every computer book I could get my hands on. Subsequent years had me prepared with a huge background of ideas I could apply to problems I encountered.
However the depth of understanding I sought differed depending upon the book.
Some books I dug into intensely. When the SICP came out I wrote my own Scheme interpreter (using the information in SICP) just so I could play with the examples.
Other books I just skimmed and indexed (in my memory) for possible future reference. The 80s 12 volume Systems Programming series by IBM is an extreme example.
Before the web I had accumulated 50 bankers boxes of computer books that I had "read" cover to cover. When they were on my shelves it often happened that when I had a problem to solve I could remember which book(s) had relevant information. I was my own search engine!
So, yes. If you are interested in databases start by skimming the paper. You might decide to read for details or you might not. Regardless, the more you know the more you can synthesize solutions when needed.
I started programming long before the internet and read cover to cover every computer book I could get my hands on. Subsequent years had me prepared with a huge background of ideas I could apply to problems I encountered.
However the depth of understanding I sought differed depending upon the book.
Some books I dug into intensely. When the SICP came out I wrote my own Scheme interpreter (using the information in SICP) just so I could play with the examples.
Other books I just skimmed and indexed (in my memory) for possible future reference. The 80s 12 volume Systems Programming series by IBM is an extreme example.
Before the web I had accumulated 50 bankers boxes of computer books that I had "read" cover to cover. When they were on my shelves it often happened that when I had a problem to solve I could remember which book(s) had relevant information. I was my own search engine!
So, yes. If you are interested in databases start by skimming the paper. You might decide to read for details or you might not. Regardless, the more you know the more you can synthesize solutions when needed.