Programming Books Suck and are Expensive

[Skunks]

I think the only computer-related reference book I've really enjoyed/gained significantly from having has been Jakob Nielson's <a href="http://www.useit.com/jakob/webusability/">Designing Web Usability</a>. The huge tomes on Carbon which I've ignored, my O'Rielly Lunix book, K&R C, eh.. They're all sort of dense and only useful if, somehow, your computer lacks manpages, grep, and Google.

Maybe there are some people who have an easier time finding information with an indexed dead tree, but it just doesn't work for me.