Design rules of thumb are nice, but getting me thinking deeply enough that I can come up with my own rules to cope with unanticipated design difficulties is even better. So get the books, read them, and then spend a bunch of time _thinking_ about the content. And don't let the sometimes light, sometimes arrogant or inflammatory tone the author takes turn you away, either. I think that was deliberate, probably to incite the reader to start thinking things through.
Don,
I basically agree.