Is Linus Pauling's General Chemistry still readable and up-to-date today?
I currently have the Dover copy of Pauling's book on my shelf.  It indeed is a nice read but it is in no way 'up-to-date' as it was written many years ago.  That being said, a lot of conceptual information presented in the book still apply just as much today as they did 6 decades ago (I would stray away from using the book as a source for benchmark measurements and such).  It is a book that should find its way onto any chemist's bookshelf, and it makes for a fascinating read into many areas of general chemistry.