Q:

Can I learn to cook from a book? 

I want to improve my cooking skills and have considered following a number of books that call themselves cookery courses (e.g. Delia's complete cookery course, Ballymaloe cookery course). 
Can I really learn to cook from a book or should I consider taking a cookery course? 

A:

Learning through repertoire is a good way to build standard skills in nearly every discipline.  If what you want is to be able to create a variety of good meals then cooking out of books will serve you well.  That isn't to say that the book you choose doesn't matter, of course it does!  A book full of accurate facts and procedures does not a good teacher make.  Choose a cookbook that is so engrossing that you don't mind reading it like a novel.  That's how I felt reading Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook and I'm sure you can find a similarly inspiring work. 
Understand that this makes you one who can produce recipes, nothing more.  I mean this earnestly and non-disparagingly, as being one who can replicate a good recipe time and again is one who has a high level of skill.  Still, most who delve into cooking and the culinary arts are rarely satisfied by this state of affairs.  One desires to substitute ingredients, build on a base, even invent their own cuisine!  For that, experimentation is the best teacher.  You're going to have to start cooking boldly and failing often to achieve that.  There really is no better teacher than making something completely inedible out of $50 worth of pork, then adding insult to injury with a fast food dinner.  =/

A:

Books can get you a long way, but they can never become a teacher.  Cooking is not just something you need to know about, it's a craft that you have to practice. 
A teacher can

Spot flaws in techniques. 
Judge the result based on years of experience. 
Give you the tips and trick that you need. 

So while you can learn from a book, getting to a high lever will be a lot easier with a seasoned teacher/master to guide you. 

A:

'If you can read you can cook' - Anon

