Despite what that esteemed author may have written, it's not only great fun but also a pretty good exercise to get to know your aircraft. I used to do circuits in the Taylorcraft using nothing but rudder, power, and trim just for the hell of it. They weren't pretty, mind you, but I learned a lot about secondary effects and my airplane that way.
My instructor (back in 1973) decided to show me how he could fly a circuit like this after I overcontrolled somewhat in the strong and bumpy wind.
He learned about windshear and turbulence on short finals. As we flew over the lee of a row of Poplar trees on the other side of the road from the airfield, we suffered severe windshear. The nose dropped until all we could see through the windscreen was grass and boundary hedge.
As he fumbled to sort out power, flap etc I instinctively pulled back on the yoke (I suppose I took control as self preservation kicked in) and we landed hard just inside the airfield boundary, short of the runway. He didn't speak another word and he went away without debriefing me. He eventually apologised via the CFI. I was actually expecting a rollocking because the instructor was that sort, an ex RAF Lightning pilot, and he seemed very angry with me at the time. He apparently went off to see the CFI then went off sick. I never flew with him again. He was later fired for a stupid misdemeanour causing an aircraft and a motorbike to be written off.