Do you really need to read a book?

Advertisers will try anything. You should hear of some of the things I did in the seventies when I was selling life insurance. Nothing against the law but innovative.
I have been playing poker for 50 years on and off. Not seriously until I retired 3 years ago and was looking for something to do to replace my job. I went on a few trips but that got old quick. I am a home body so internet gambling is great for me.
In the 60's I worked in a casino and played some serious seven card stud but I did not try Holdem until on line. I read some free tips on various forums and this gave me a jump start and then I found out about poker books which helped even more. If I could do exactly as the book teaches I would never lose but alas as I am not a robot, me gets in the way.
My best learning came when I joined a small forum that had a $5 buy in every week day in a league format. Free rolls on the weekend. At first it was tough. There were between ten and twenty in each game. I paid to learn but got so that I could finish in the money enough to break even. As I continued to play I actually made some good money from the forum. Unfortunately the forum folded.
It was a good learning experience after the books. The books have a place especially for new players. If a person is able to improve then playing is the best teacher.

books are like teachers...would you have learned how to play basketball without a coach or math w/o youre bald headed 4 eyed nerdy math teacher...anyways poker is very similiar...books are like a coach or a teacher, but the difference is that 2+2 is not equal to 4 in poker its anyway you want to play..these are concepts and numbers prof poker players put 2gether whether by experience or by books they have read...i wouldve never considered ev% and fold equity and everything w/o reading the dan harrington's or the brunson's ss...you can def do it yourself i ve done it for a year and some change tried the money thing and broke even on every site i played on .....after reading books and reading articles and this forum helped me get into the money......i can see and im so confident that my br will finally get to the point where i can play limits i know iam capable of...its just putting the ideas comparing it to yours and see how it plays...thats how books helped me and can help anyones game...so like ppl said its not needed but it is one of the best investments a true poker fanatic or player can make