"1- Don't be so flipping daft. Many of us went into the job with no knowledge of the blue book (pre-internet days) and we got through OK."
Very true, but should you not use every tool to your advantage? Knowledge is power after all...And especially now, unlike the old days where courses lasted millenia, you now have 6-9 months to pass. PPL books are a good idea, anything that will make learning so much new material slightly easier.