I pretty much try to reflect the way code is written in the real world. Now, it's absolutely true that commercial C code is generally more dense than in my book. But in a book, you want examples to be clear. Certain optimizations, that compacting of expressions of which good C programmers are justifiably proud, these I avoided. But I just always write my books to reflect the way C code is being written at the time.
Programming is a combination of art and science.
Great programmers are great technicians but also great artists. Their work changes in ways which reflect the evolution of the person as they grow through life. C is not dead. If I write a utility program, it's a C program. You don't need objects to write a 150-line utility.