Well, the thing is, if a lecturer makes you read a book which she doesn't really discuss in her lectures and instead prefers to ramble on about other things or, if we do talk about the book, basically just reads it to us, then you can assume that the book is the basis of knowledge. However, you need to know that the lecturer is a big believer in psychoanalysis and sees it as the solution for everything, even if it is not the best method for certain things.

So if our book states "eating disorders benefit from cognitive behavioural therapy" and we are asked what is to be used for treating EDs in the exam, you still have to say "psychoanalysis" because of the lecturer's personal preference.

Hardly scientific but that is the way it is.

Anyway, the first few years at uni here are about learning everything off by heart and regurgitating it. No thinking involved, except the bit where you think what the hell the lecturer was thinking when he prepared the exam.