I find using both in combination is usually the best way to go. If you're just reading a book and doing exercises in it, you wont learn as well. Making somethin

I find using both in combination is usually the best way to go. If you're just reading a book and doing exercises in it, you wont learn as well. Making something you want to make and using books as reference while developing makes you learn a lot quicker. Also, the answer to this question depends a lot on your previous experience with other languages. If you're well-versed in another C-like language, jumping right in and starting to make something will probably teach you a lot, really quickly. If you're more of a beginner in programming generally, you need a book or a teacher.