As mentioned in the other reply, "For reference works, or almost any type of nonfiction these days, nonlinear consumption makes a lot of sense." So for your engagement with Hortan's C++, it makes sense that you would take what you needed and not what you didn't.
But yes, I would argue that different rules apply to fiction. Completion is an essential part of the process. If you don't like the book, or don't want to finish, by all means don't finish! I've quit books for a number of reasons. If the book isn't holding your interest, that's - well, to say it's the author's fault is perhaps assigning blame where blame doesn't apply, but rather say that the fault is not yours. It's the job of the book to entertain, and while it may entertain some, it doesn't for you. You can put a book down in good conscience, certainly. But I disagree with the author's idea that finishing a book is purely optional.
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As mentioned in the other reply, "For reference works, or almost any type of nonfiction these days, nonlinear consumption makes a lot of sense." So for your engagement with Hortan's C++, it makes sense that you would take what you needed and not what you didn't.
But yes, I would argue that different rules apply to fiction. Completion is an essential part of the process. If you don't like the book, or don't want to finish, by all means don't finish! I've quit books for a number of reasons. If the book isn't holding your interest, that's - well, to say it's the author's fault is perhaps assigning blame where blame doesn't apply, but rather say that the fault is not yours. It's the job of the book to entertain, and while it may entertain some, it doesn't for you. You can put a book down in good conscience, certainly. But I disagree with the author's idea that finishing a book is purely optional.