: Help write a book review, please Edited to incorporate @Craig Sefton's suggestions. About a book that I admire, I wrote in an SE computer-programming group: The material seems old -- well,

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Okay, I really like your 1200-page doorstop comment. That's not boring, and it's evocative.

Can you use that?

This is a big book, but unlike
1200-page doorstops, this book
justifies its length. It is the rare
treasure that's clear, concise, and
complete; its every page gives real,
immediate value.

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Well, I think you've already used the word I would use in your question: concise. I would also perhaps split the overall sentence into two lines. A possible suggestion:

A solution you can lift is published
in W. Richard Stevens's superb and
unparalleled book (read "bible"),
Advanced Programming in the UNIX
Environment, Second Edition. It is one
of those rare books that is clear and
concise, which gives every page real
and immediate value.

Edit: Based on the update to the question, I think including the idea is necessary. Concise and clear programming books are invaluable, so that's a big strength. Don't worry about boring the reader; you'll only do that if your review isn't ... umm ... clear and concise. Oh, and I would probably drop either tangible, or real, since they essentially mean the same thing (I've edited my recommendation above to reflect this).

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