What is your preferred method for learning new technical material?

I prefer sitting down with a good book on the topic and reading up on it from start to finish.
I prefer actually sitting down with the product and a reference book at the same time and working through each feature.
I just start the software and see what works and what breaks by guessing at how it should work.
I prefer attending day-long or multi-day live training sessions with hands-on labs.
I prefer attending short Webinar sessions from product exports on small topics.
I prefer computer-based training on DVD or via downloaded video files.