>> The Art of Computer Programming, by Knuth > Too dense and theoretical, even for someone who enjoys it. Introduction to Algorithms by Cormen, Leiserston, Rivest and Stein is more understandable and practical. It does cover everything useful and is thorough, it just isn't pedantic.

I completely agree. I own three volumnes of TACP and have very rarely used them. They look good and give instant programmer cred when you utter their titles, but they just haven't proven that useful to me. CLRS, however, is a staple on my programming bookshelf and is well worn.

I'll add Programming Pearls and The Mythical Man-Month to the list that is already growing. Both of those books have given me really good insights over the years.