I've only been in this hobby for 3.5 years and have had Mexican pings for only 2.5. I have a grand total of 2 CP books and have been doing a lot of reading from them, as well as learning from the discussion forums. I have a great deal of respect from the books and the experinec of the authors, but as others have said, different authors have had success with some plants, because of their particular circumstances / climate, with their favorite soil media and favorite setups, be it open tray or greenhouses, etc.... Books are great, especially for beginners, such as myself, and provide useful guidance in a myriad of advice. But as some have shown, there are a few errors and some new techniques have been developed and a few myths dispelled and... And that's why I have the discussion forums to be an invaluable source of info.
As Joseph has said, they can flower in the winter rosette state and I happen to have a picture of one, taken this past spring:
Having said that, somewhere down the line I read that leaf pullings should be done from the non-carnivorous leaves. Okay.... I've been taking pullings from both carnivorous and non-carnivorous leaves, right along. I've tried the slightly moist media in a baggie, by an east window technique, as well as the place the leaf next to the parent plant, like a chip dip technique. They ALL work! And a few of them failed, in all four combinations.