I do much the same thing.
I thought that I was missing a bunch of stuff one day,
so, I looked at that "Basic Drumming" book for a while and
learned a few beats.
I found that I was an Auditory learner.
So now, i mostly listen to music and learn to play along.
I have to say it did teach me to keep time
and keep a beat. That book always come in handy.
