The purpose of understanding concepts never works for me. If someone wants to teach me something I want more than concepts. How on earth can one apply a concept to work? It's vague because concepts are vague. It's like telling someone to tell you how to swim without going anywhere near water. That's a concept.
Understanding fundamentals, an example for the subject of swimming, To swim is propel through a body through water, by kicking kicking with feet and paddling with arms.
There you have the fundamentals of swimming.
If that is all you need from the book and that is your purpose then go with it. But if you're actually going to jump into water you want more than a concept and fundamental understanding of swimming.
If I need to know how to swim. That's simply not enough.
If a book is teaching me about brain surgery I want more than concept if I'm learning brain surgery because I want to do it or I want to know what the surgeon will be doing. I want to know what to do, how to do it, when to do it, What can go wrong and if I goof how to fix it. I need more than a fundamental understanding and concept. Give me the who what when where why and how so that I can use the knowledge.
What do you need to know and what do you expect to use in your work. Know what you need to know and expect to learn. Then you have your purpose.
Alex
