Marcus - no, you don't have to follow the directions on the first page. I think, however, it is worth the effort to give it a try as it introduces (by example) some important concepts....to be further exposed to you by reading the book.
If you follow the steps, you'll have a level of understanding after 25 minutes, an increased level after another 30, and full understanding after an additional 60 minutes. How long would it take you to achieve the same levels of understanding with your current learning/reading methods?
Cheers - CS
