If you are still deciding whether this is for you, I hope this introductory chapter can dispel your doubts and spark your interest in this great topic.
Why should you learn about algorithms? The short answer is to try to become a better software developer. Knowing about data structures and algorithms is like adding a tool to your tool belt.
Have you ever heard of Maslow’s hammer, aka the law of the instrument? It’s a conjecture, driven by observation, about how people who only know one way to do things tend to apply what they know to all kinds of different situations.
If your tool belt only has a hammer, you will be tempted to treat everything as a nail. If you only know how to sort a list, you will be tempted to sort your tasks list every time you add a new task or have to pick the next one to tackle, and you will never be able to leverage the context to find more efficient solutions.