I've been very poor (more than once), and I'm currently quite comfortable. I've always read a lot, and would be in a very different place if I hadn't. Using lib

I've been very poor (more than once), and I'm currently quite comfortable. I've always read a lot, and would be in a very different place if I hadn't. Using libraries has been a big part of that, but they are of course much less useful for cutting-edge tech topics. I'm limiting this to those, in situations where you think absorbing the book will improve your chops. You should buy the book, because this makes both you and the author better off. But if you can't, you should read it anyway, because at least one of you is benefiting. You can buy the book later when you're in a better place, or at least pay it forward in some other way. The only thing worse than not getting paid for your work is your unpaid work not being used at all.