Reviews for The UNIX Philosophy

1. Superb content...

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, August 12nd, 2001

   This book is a fantastic *non-technical* look at design philosophy. The principles learned here are not just applicable to software design, several others areas would benifit from the wisdom described here in.

   Written in a typical Unix/dry sense of humour, this book is intriguing as it takes you through a series of concepts that seem common sense but which no-one seems to realise these days. Simple and powerful - rather like the type of software ideas it advocates - there is no waffle and no getting bored. Definitely recommended. I cannot code anything at all (yet!),... and I'm glad I picked it up - no technical jargon at all. You cannot possibly get lost in this book - anyone can read it... the content is potentially life-changing, but then it is in a lot of books...

   ... Well interesting.

2. Yada yada yada

   Rated 2 out of 5 stars, July 12th, 2000

   I suppose this is the kind of book that should be adored by managers. First, it has a stylish cover. Second, it doesn't take much of your time. You should be over with it in about one hour - not only it's thin, it is also typeset in a size larger than the usual book letter size. And third, it comes with ready-made slogans like "Small is beautiful", "Make each program do one thing well" etc, that can come handy at staff meetings.

   Even at its rather modest size, this book is stretched to the limits. There is about enough material in it to make a decent article in UnixWorld or some similar magazine, perhaps even two; it could also be made a chapter in some compendium. But that doesn't nearly make it enough for a standalone book.

   True, Gancarz writes well, and anecdotical stories in his book make a pleasant bathtub reading. To convince you that Unix indeed is a great design, however, get something substantial instead. If you are a programmer and seeing some actual code doesn't scare you off, I would recommend The Unix Programming Environment by Kernighan and Pike. Though dated, in my opinion it still makes a better introduction to the Unix design philosophy...

3. Thought provoking and humorous look at software design

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, May 12th, 1999

   This is a hilarious book ("winnow out the chaff" using prototypes!!!) that is more about the philosophy of reusable software tools and portable data rather than Unix. (Unix just happened to be the vehicle in which these ideas were delivered...) It takes a fairly radical stand on the so-called basic tenets of the "UNIX Philosophy" but does so more to illustrate its points rather than to work anyone with software biases into a frenzy.

   This book cuts through hype and approaches software development and design with a pragmatic and timeless sensibility - a methodology book that ignores object oriented programming, Java, the Internet, or any other technology of the day and focuses instead on more universal aspects of software development - What makes code reusable? What makes data portable? What are the evolutionary stages of a killer app?

   Read this insightful and amusing book!

4. This book is a career-shaper.

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, May 12th, 1998

   If you work in IS this is the book to read. Not just a book about the UNIX OS, it clarifies how we should engineer software and store data the "UNIX way." It's also much more concise than anything Yourdon ever wrote. Since reading it, I've realized that WindowsNT is the OpenVMS of the nineties.

5. If you have used or ever plan to use Unix, read this book.

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, October 12th, 1997

   I've used Unix (and variants thereof) for seven years. I've read hundreds of books about Unix, from systems design to advanced X11 programming. This book provides the fundamentals to understanding Unix on all levels.

   The Unix Philosophy has made me appreciate Unix like never before; it's totally changed my ideas about programming, program interoperability, and human-computer interaction. You will want to read this book from cover to cover over and over. You'll find yourself using this book as a reference, even though it's not one. The Unix Philosophy is well written, interesting, and insightful.

   Read this book. :)