In almost every field there are encyclopedic reference books which are for experienced people to look up stuff when needed.
Then there are books with wonderful prose that are suitable for self learners that want to learn the topic for the first time.
Can you name some books of the second type in your field of study?
He was one of the gems of mathematical exposition. If you’ve studied any information theory you probably know his surname well. His other books are also excellent.
It begins with a lovely quotation: “every scientist owes a labour of love to his field”. His work embodies that. There are lots of exercises, and it includes answers to enough of them for you to check you’re on the right track.