Rescued by UNIX

COMPUTER BOOK REVIEW  

343 words

Title:Rescued by UNIX;  Augie Hansen; Jamsa Press; 
ISBN: 1-884133-00-2; paperback, 254 pages; 
US$19.95, CAN$25.95

Reviewer:  A. T. Connellan, "A very helpful book, a 
marked departure from many of the "how to" computer 
knowledge books now on store shelves." 

Unlock The Mysteries Of UNIX

Only a small percentage of computer users spend much 
time with all that exotica available through Windows. 
Few of us do spreadsheets, desk-top publishing, or 
programming. Most write or word process, and then 
maintain and manage our work in files.                       

Change is taking place however, for a growing number 
computers are becoming education machines. For 
example; if you use Bulletin Boards, the Internet, or work 
for a small to large enterprise in an environment where 
computer multi-user and multi-tasking are the 
norm, then you are, or will become, familiar with UNIX. 

UNIX, the big brother of operating systems, will run 
Windows and DOS application programs, on one, 
two, or up to hundreds of large, medium, and personal 
sized computers, at any given time. It is the common 
operating system around the world on the Internet. 

If this sounds complex it is, but UNIX is a well proven 
operating system, and your comfortable mastery of 
its essential elements is just this one book away. 
Augie Hansen has constructed a method for everyday 
people like you and me to become productive with 
UNIX from page one. 

"Rescued by UNIX" is organized into 39 easily 
understood lessons, in seven sections, built 
sequentially upon each other in complexity. By the 
end of the book, I found myself able to take on the 
previously daunting task of working with the Shell 
programming language to construct script files 
to control a number of tasks and save time. 

Jamsa [say it as in James not jam] Press are noted 
for their clever use of color to highlight sections, 
window reproductions, figures and illustrations. 
It makes for a visually pleasing, brisk, easy, 
enjoyable read. 

They also prequalify their books through a 
"skill level guide." This one is for beginners 
in UNIX, as I was. Very helpful and a marked 
departure from many of the "how to" computer 
knowledge books now on store shelves.