That is how I've ended up using his book, but what is the appeal of a heavy, printed reference manual? I could only make sense of the idioms and patterns in C++

That is how I've ended up using his book, but what is the appeal of a heavy, printed reference manual? I could only make sense of the idioms and patterns in C++ by reading the Guru of the Week articles at the same time: http://gotw.ca/gotw/index.htm http://gotw.ca/gotw/index.htm It didn't click at all while using Stroustrup's book, even when I did the exercises.