When I answered your question as it appeared in the original post, it was with the understanding that you were studying for ATPL exams. You would definitely benefit from understanding the concepts covered in Dr. De Remer's book if pursuing a professional pilot career. Someone working on their PPL should understand about charts at a basic level, but understanding advanced navigational concepts and equipment can wait until the more basic studies and skills building has been achieved. No, such studies are not strictly necessary to fly a 172 under visual flight rules. First things first!
I can suggest a couple of free to download tutorials from the FAA.gov website: The Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. (PHAK) and the Airplane Flying Handbook. Both contain allot of information pertinent to the student pilot as they progress through training.
Be safe, have fun and learn from every experience!
Best of success in your studies and your flying. Learn to crawl before you learn to walk. Learning to run comes later.