The 2nd edition of this book was a classic, widely used, but with the same reputation that K&R had in C--that of being terse and cross- referential.
The 3rd edition solves the problem of being terse--this is a large book. However, the style does rely on the gestalt technique--the student is expected to learn something of everything before he or she can really proceed. In addition, many ANSI C++ features are taken for granted at a time when many compilers do not yet support these features.
The Special Edition is very much like the third edition--except with hard cover, some late corrections, and two additional appendices. Appendix D covers Locales, the way to manage applications requiring alternate representations of dates, currency, and languages in different countries or cultures Appendix E covers Standard-Library Exception Handling
Despite these weaknesses, the book is clearly valuable as both a tutorial text and a reference--the hallmarks of an acceptable University text. When supplemented by instructor material, this is the best book currently out on the market for teachers (Blaha is discontinued).