On the other hand, having a howTo get you started on the road to
investigation can be a good thing. For me, the path to LDAP knowledge
was not best started with a walk through slapd.conf. A running server
with basic config can allow you to investigate LDAP at an appropriate
level. You may be "lost" when you get to your first tough question, but
you are lost in the middle of a highway with a bunch of signs telling you
where to head for answers. No HowTo is created in a vacuum. More
knowledge can be found at the end of the google path when you are ready.
Also, when you are trying to learn to fish, you are probably not ready to
understand the workings of the reel, how to make lead weights and to tie
a perfect knot.
My point is that there is more than one way to learn. Options are good.