A recent negative book example for me is the Quantum Programming book from O'Reilly. I found that it did not discuss quantum circuits in a detail that helped me really understand what I was doing -- though I suppose that is a conceit of quantum computing. Perhaps I will return to it later (I am working through Nielsen/Chuang now, which is very theoretical, but explains things very clearly)
My policy is that a book is nothing more than a learning tool, which a hobby project can also be (perhaps more effectively due to the experience gained).
Then again, knowledge is power, and books are great at pointing you in the right direction -- assuming you found the right one for your needs, of course.
I know some people who won't open a book unless they know they can read the whole thing, which I think is a ludicrous attitude.
I did just order O'Reilly's Generative Deep Learning book, and am hoping to get something out of that, and if I only retain a handful of snippets to use in my career, that is profitable for me.
The least I can count on is that it will look nice on my shelf.