The war between the book and the keyboard..(in learning a programming skill)..?

As the question implies, when I come to learn or practice a certain programming skill/language, especially when learning from a book, I find my concentration split between the book and the keyboard, and then I might end up achieving almost nothing.

So, what’s the best way to practice a certain programming skill? Is there any tips I can try in order to obtain the most benefit possible out of my programming session?