> how shall I say it, not entirely optimal In what way? Is there a measurable performance penalty paid for including the return type of (id)? There is clearl

> how shall I say it, not entirely optimal In what way? Is there a measurable performance penalty paid for including the return type of (id)? There is clearly a penalty paid in understanding and clarity, which flies in the face of the topic of your book. If you have explained that, than your reviewers aren't reading your book (which is a different problem of sorts). Considering your books is targeted at the Apple audience, I think these are fair questions. Simply saying "because I can" or "this is how I've always done it" isn't really good enough. However, if you can point to real benefits to not including the default type in the definition (something more subjective than clarity in your eyes), then you should spend time explaining that.