It requires work and investigating all sides of the story. In order to look at all sides of any issue, a student must know all of the facts of that issue. Lectures and notes often fall short, hence reading material. There is a book on it. There were a couple of books required, but you probably weren't actually required to read them.
Resumes are a first impresion.
Nobody is going to look over anybody else's shoulder. Whether a student opens a book or not will not make or break an academic career.