If you want maximum inches of shelf space, then The Art of Computer Programming by Knuth is your best bet. Myself, I love slim books that are high density yet

If you want maximum inches of shelf space, then The Art of Computer Programming by Knuth is your best bet. Myself, I love slim books that are high density yet well written. The C Programming Language by K& R and The AWK Programing Language by Aho, Weinberger and Kernighan are good examples. These books are just a joy to read.