How to Use This Text Independently

If you’ve found this text independently, rather than through a class— well, wow. We’re honored you’re here! We hope you find this resource helpful!

We need to start with the same warning we gave instructors in a different section: while this text officially reached a nominal state of completeness in December 2022, it is still under active development. But hey, it’s out there, and it’s free. So we hope you find it rewarding, feel free to send us your feedback, and watch for future changes that should make it even better!

In a classroom setting, instructors are likely to mix and match the chapters a bit. That may not be easy to do on your own, but we do want you to know that you don’t have to read from (virtual) cover to cover for the book to work. If you have something in particular you want to work on, feel free to skip to that chapter. If not, you can either go in order or jump back and forth between chapters. It may help to know that chapters 1–7 cover the most foundational skills, and should work well together. You might work from chapters 1–3 at first, then 4–7, jumping between chapters as you like. The remaining chapters cover specific applications of those skills, and you can focus on the ones that are most meaningful to you.

Again, welcome!