That chapter in the book is quite out-of-date now! You can see the revised version here that uses a much simpler solution for getting your project up and running: https://www.kirupa.com/react/setting_up_react_environment.htm The second edition of the book (due in March/April) will contain this updated content.
When the 2nd edition goes out, existing owners will get notified of the new edition that they can view on their e-reader, browser, etc. Even paperback owners will get access to the digital version