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Having just acquried Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads am anxious to plunge into it but would like to receive some comment from other bread bakers who use this book re a couple of things.  Although he talks about instant yeast in the intro, all the recipes ask for dry yeast. That's fine - but - some of the instructions in recipes (i.e. heat of water) seem to relate more to what would be done using instant yeast.  I am happy to use either but wish I didn't have this bit of uncertainty.  Users of this book please let me know what you do successfully. As always with US books there are a few terminology issues for us in Aus, but I think it odd that he doesn't just say "ok instant yeast is fairly new, it is different in this or that  way, but I have specified dry yeast, convert at such and such rate".  And don't get me started on the "cups" measurements and no weights.  Happy bread baking.  

Does this help? Old explanation from Cooks' Illustrated:

Despite indications to the contrary-created by the commercial largesse of the yeast companies-there are only three types of yeast: fresh, active dry, and instant. All are derived from the powerful brewer's yeast known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but each is processed from a slightly different strain of this protypical yeast. 

Types

Fresh Yeast: The original commercial yeast, known as fresh, compressed, or cake yeast is about 70 percent water by weight and is composed of 100 percent living cells. It is soft and crumbly and requires no proofing-fresh yeast will dissolve if it is simply rubbed into sugar or dropped into warm liquid. Owing to qualities associated with its strain, fresh yeast will produce the most carbon dioxide of all three types of yeasts during fermentation. Fresh yeast is considered fast, potent, and reliable, but it has a drawback: it is highly perishable and must be refrigerated and used before its expiry date.

Active Dry: Active dry yeasts arrive at their granular state by undergoing processes that reduce them to 95 percent dry matter. Traditional active dry yeast is exposed to heat so high that many of its cells are destroyed in the process. Because the spent outer cells encapsulate living centers, active dry yeast must first be dissolved in a relatively hot liquid (proofed) to slough off dead cells and reach the living centers.

Instant Yeasts: Also called "Instant," "Rapid Rise," or "Bread" instant yeasts are also processed to 95 percent dry matter, but are subjected to a gentler drying process than active dry. As a result, every dried particle is living, or active. This means the yeast can be mixed directly with recipe ingredients without first being dissolved in water or proofed. It is in this context that the yeast is characterized as "instant." We prefer instant yeast in the test kitchen. It combines the potency of fresh yeast with the convenience of active dry, and it is considered by some to have a cleaner flavor than active dry because it contains no dead cells. (In our months of testing, we found this to be true when we made a lean baguette dough but could detect no difference in flavor when using the two yeasts in doughs made with milk, sugar, and butter.)

Substitution Formulas

To substitute active dry for instant (or rapid rise) yeast: Use 25 percent more active dry. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of instant yeast, use 1 1/4 teaspoons of active dry. And don't forget to "prove" the yeast, i.e. dissolving it in a portion of the water from the recipe, heated to 105 degrees. To substitute instant (or rapid rise) yeast for active dry: Use about 25 percent less. For example if the recipe calls for 1 packet or 2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast, use 1 3/4 teaspoons of instant yeast. And you do not need to prove the yeast, just add it to the dry ingredients.To substitute fresh yeast for active dry yeast, use a ratio of roughly 2:1, i.e. use one small cake (0.6 ounce) of compressed fresh yeast in lieu of 1 packet (.25 ounces) of active dry yeast.Note a packet of active dry or instant yeast contains about 2 1/4 teaspoons (.25 ounces) of yeast.

Thanks to those who replied to the question re Bernard Clayton's book/instant yeast or dry yeast, appreciate anyone trying to help a baker in a quandry.  However, my dilemma is not about instant yeast per se, as I use it often and understand how to convert dry to instant in a recipe, though I usually use whichever is specified the recipe and generally prefer the benefit of the slower proof that dry yeast gives.  What was puzzling me was that Clayton talks about instant yeast in the intro to the book, and then his recipes all ask for dry yeast, but the way the yeast is handled and the temperatures of the liquids he specifies are more in line with the use of instant yeast. So I was just wondering if bakers who had used the book used dry yeast in the quantities he specified and got  the result they expected, and why he talked about instant yeast at length and doesn't use it.

Perhaps it is all to do with this being an updated and revised  very old book and he felt the need to introduce instant yeast into the picture, but odd that he wouldn't just say use either but be wary of the conversion or something. I guess I will just go for it and see for myself.  But don't you hate it when you invest all that time and anticipation and joy of breadmaking and get a less than terrifice result?  I'll use dry yeast! And I'll stop being so pedantic!  Happy Baking.