[trilinearnz]

I understand how you feel (personally, I really liked the book). I think it depends on your goal. If your goal is to just "get on with things" and essential read something more akin to a reference manual or a focused tutorial without any fluff, then yes, Why's guide is not appropriate.

While I enjoyed Why's guide, I found the Little Schemer book to be somewhat impenetrable in contrast. That book has a similar kind of style in the sense that it's in a non-traditional format and is widely praised, but I think it occupies the more intellectual / academic space than where Why's guide is targeted (that is, moreso at the regular Joe Blow programmer rather than someone who who lives and breathes everything CS). K&R seems to reach a good middle ground between practicality and whimsy.