Since you really don''t want to take the advice of the people here and read the book and you actually think that maybe reading the book might be a waste of time, then I suggest you take a different path.
The different path may be a little more fun, and may give you different and useful insights to the value of the book, but through a different approach. I am not necessarily advocating this approach, but I think in your case, you might want to try it.
Here is the different approach: don''t read the book. Instead, settle on a relatively simple text based game to create. I''m thinking a card game. A simple card game. No graphics. Think what you want it to do. Now, go program it.
Ok, after a few hours, you''ll realize that you don''t know how. The answers are in the book. Use the index. Use the table of contents. Read a chapter or two. The answers are there.
I am sure that if you do program the card game, it will be poorly implemented and buggy, but it might work. More likely, you won''t finish it. But along the way you will gather an appreciation for various concepts and methods of programming. You will learn that no matter what you are programming, it often boils down the same problem solving skills.
Most importantly, you will learn how to teach yourself, how to problem solve, and you will become motivated to actually learn what is in that book.
In the end, I believe your card game will be a failure, but it will be instrumental in getting you off your ass and learning the necessity of learning.
