Typography is one element of UI design - I agree with you that the material they provide / you linked to is probably high quality, but there must be a faster and more actionable way to learn to design than to read 3 books on every one of these elements! Imagine someone trying to learn to program: You would (probably) not recommend 3 books on Syntax, Compiler Design and Data Structures to even get started...
This is NOT a book on web design. This is book on graphic design and, a good one at that. It covers types, images, graphics, layouts, form.
Simply copying designs in this book will put you ahead of many 'professional' web designers. It's because many web designers do not fully understand what makes a design good (or bad).
Even though my work is all digital, personally I find most of the talented designers are still found in traditional print design world.
You can pick up a used copy for less than $15 shipped.
