BKUNXCMP.RVW   960320
 
"The UNIX Companion", Harley Hahn, 1995, 0-07-882149-5, U$29.95
%A   Harley Hahn
%C   2600 Tenth St., Berkeley, CA   94710
%D   1995
%G   0-07-882149-5
%I   McGraw-Hill Ryerson/Osborne
%O   U$29.95 510-548-2805 800-227-0900 aellings@mcgraw-hill.com
%P   804
%T   "The UNIX Companion"
 
"The UNIX Companion" demonstrates Hahn's deep, personal commitment to
recycling.  In "UNIX Unbound" (cf. BKUNXUNB.RVW), he provided readable
explanations (and interesting sidebars), and a very complete overview of the
system, including the basics, X, utilities, man, shells, communications,
networks, mail, redirection, editors, the file system and many other bits and
pieces.  In this book, he changes almost nothing (including the
acknowledgements) other than adding some material on the pine and elm mail
readers.
 
Hahn is *not* interested in a quick and dirty introduction to Unix.  He wants
to present not only the Unix culture, but an almost mystical appreciation for
the OS.  How well this works for the individual reader is going to be very
subjective, but the early chapters may be a bit bemusing.  The tutorial value
of the material is good, but an initial "Here is enough to get you started,"
section is missing.
 
While there are other, superior, introductions (such as McMullen's "Complete
Idiot's Guide to UNIX", BKCIGUNX.RVW), I would not hesitate to recommend this
as a guide, either for the UNIX neophyte, or to the current user who is having
trouble grasping "the UNIX way".
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1996   BKUNXCMP.RVW   960320

======================
DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters
Editor and/or reviewer        ROBERTS@decus.ca         rslade@vanisl.decus.ca
      BCVAXLUG Envoy      http://www.decus.ca/www/lugs/bcvaxlug.html