Harley Hahn Newsletter #39

Harley Hahn Newsletter
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  HARLEY HAHN NEWSLETTER
           #39

     August 6, 2004

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"The best tools are difficult to master,
 but easy to use."

 -- Harley Hahn


===================================================
My next book: Harley Hahn's Guide to Unix and Linux
===================================================

It seems that every time I talk to a friend or
relative, I always get the same question, "What
are you working on now?"  It's one of the
pleasures of being a writer.

Because I mostly write books (as opposed to
stories or essays or newspaper columns), it's a
big deal for me to start a new project.  Well, I
have just started a new project, and since it's a
big deal, I'd like to tell you about it.

In the early 1990s, I was visited by an editor
from McGraw-Hill who worked in their College
Division.  His job was to find people to write
computer science textbooks, and he asked me if I
would write a Unix textbook for them.  I did, and
in February, 1993, the book was published under
the title, "A Student's Guide to Unix".

(You may have heard of Unix, but if you are not
sure what it is, I'll tell you that it is an
operating system: a master control program that is
used to run computers.  Another example of
an operating system is Microsoft Windows.  Unlike
Windows, however, smart people really like Unix.
The reason is that, although Unix is difficult to
learn, it is powerful and easy to use once you
have learned it.)

In 1995, I was asked by a different McGraw-Hill
editor (people in publishing tend to move around)
to revise my Unix textbook, which I did.  The new
edition was published in April, 1996, under a
slightly different title "Harley Hahn's Student
Guide to Unix, 2nd Edition".  (By then, I was
well-known enough to have my name in the title.)

Over the years, I let the book lie while I busied
myself with other projects but, last year, I was
asked by yet another editor -- who had inherited
me and my book -- to think about writing a third
edition.  After some discussion, I agreed to do it,
and so I am now officially working on a new Unix
book.  Once again, the title will be changed, this
time to "Harley Hahn's Guide to Unix and Linux,
3rd Edition".  (Linux is a type of Unix that
happens to be popular right now.)

If you use Unix and you have a moment, please take
a look at the Web page below, where you will find
information about the current edition.

Are there any new topics you think I should cover?
I'd like to hear from you.

Information about "Harley Hahn's Student Guide to Unix,
Second Edition"

If you have experience with Unix, especially if
you are a teacher or professor, perhaps you might
like to review some of the material as I write the
new book?  If so, please let me know.

Send a message to Harley


========================================================
Reading: Tales of Space and Time, Who's Who in Wodehouse
========================================================

I believe that everyone should learn how to read
well, and that life is better when we make reading
an integral part of our life.  For this reason, I
created "Harley Hahn's Guide to Reading".

Part of the guide is a list of the books that I
read.  Whenever I finish a book, I add it to the
list, along with some comments to show you what I
thought of the book.  I then post the list to a
Web page called "What is Harley Reading?".  I hope
that you will use this list to get ideas for books
that you yourself might like to explore.

I recently added two new books to the list, "Tales
of Space and Time " by H.G. Wells, and "Who's Who
in Wodehouse" by Daniel Garrison.  Take a look and
see what I thought of them...

Take a look and see what I thought of them...

What is Harley Reading?

If you have not yet seen my guide to reading, here
is the main page:

Harley Hahn's Guide to Reading

-- Harley Hahn