One questions you should ask is why you want to learn this topic. I spent several years learning and I'm still of intermediate skill. I am now beginning to real

One questions you should ask is why you want to learn this topic. I spent several years learning and I'm still of intermediate skill. I am now beginning to realize that dist systems might be useful when it comes time to scale your startup but likely not appropriate when you are first building the product. Of course, if u are interested for love of knowledge that is another matter. There are at least two old text books on dist systems. I have both but they are pretty hard to read/abstract. I think the best way to learn is to read academic papers. Read: dynamo, big table, cassandra, some papers on dhts like chord. I started reading seven dbs in seven week and am really learning a lot. It doesnt focus on dist systems but when you see the different systems in action, you get some useful insights. E.g. Think about how riak id different from redis. There was some group in new haven that was planning to host a two day seminar on dist systems. If you search old hn submissions, youll find it.(sorry, dont have a link handy as I am on vacay).