Then pick a few books on the same topic. Say, a travel guide for Tokyo. Compare five or so, you'll quickly have one or two favorites. Why? Font? Layout? Clarity? Make notes.
Similar things work for dairy products, or looking up dentist websites.
Sorry for this being a bit out of the box, but having written a book and going through this very exercise did remind me a lot of UI/UX.
I think there's a lot of value in books, and also UI/UX topics covered in books — but eventually you'll have to find your own interpretation and understanding of things, and it may be a better learning experience to compare and investigate on your own and then line up anything you've learned with the great book recommendations this thread will very likely bring up, hopefully.
Not every company will blatantly call your former/current employer for a reference, there's procedures for that, and you can certainly control this a bit, as an applicant.
My suggestion would be to openly make this a topic of discussion with your potential new employer. Tell them that you'll have to manage the time as you're still employed and can't just run off during the day easily. They'll understand, even the big ones. I've been able to arrange all interviews at a time I found convenient, and that includes the big US tech giants.
Throwaway, but willing to reveal more if needed.I've built a business out of a weekend-project over the past 4 years, which brought in six figures and is still growing.My product helps businesses (and professionals) to market to certain channels, and my UVP is providing a self-service bridge to those channels. It requires quite a sophisticated technical effort to access those channels, and...