So what was I supposed to do with no expert on hand and no Internet? I went back to the bookshop and asked there. They didn't know either, so I returned the book.

I returned to programming when I learned about Quickbasic. That just worked and had an extensive help system that was suitable for self study.

I don't think that's very fair. Some people are extremely gifted mathematicians with incredible talent for algorithmic thinking, yet can be totally shut down by build configuration bullshit. It's a huge pain point in C-land.