Gear question

i don't know about books or articles, but using the gears on your bike is like using the gears on a manual transmission (MT) on your car. Before switching from 1st to 2nd, you must bring your RPM's to a recommended level or the gear will be too small for the force generated which will cause the engine to sputter from the effort. It is the very same thing with a bike. You start off in 3rd or 4th gear (1 and 2 are usually reserved for hills) and bring your rpm's up to your level, ie 120. When the level of effort becomes too low, you switch to another gear. If, on the other hand, you switch to a higher gear and the level of effort is such that your rpm's drop dramatically and you feel the effort in your knees, drop back down. Never mind the books or articles, just get on your bike and ride lots and change gears as often as you can. I do a lot of riding in traffic so I am constantly changing gears.