What are some examples of comp Sci/programming "last a lifetime" books? I am just a little confused about this statement.
These may not "last a lifetime" in some sense. But early computing books, especially by well-known authors, may come close.
Algorithms, unix networking, assembly books, the art of computer programming, Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, anything by Benjamin Pierce, good compiler books, discrete mathematics, the art of electronics, Princeton Companion to Mathematics, Spivak's Calculus, ...