I was taught compiler construction by the books like that. In my opinion they do more damage than good.

A proposed adhoc parser without an intermediate representation is a sure way to create an unnecessary mess in reader's head. Somewhat understandable given the technical limitations of those days, but still the authors could do a better job there.

Dragon Book (Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools) and "Compiler Construction" by Niklaus Wirth are much more sensible choices.