Rating: 
Summary: A Great Starting Point
Review: In the vast world of Linux/UNIX, I found it hard to know where to start learning. I figured that since I knew a significant amount about OS X that this book might make for a good beginning level book. I was so right. For someone who knows absolutely nothing about UNIX commands, this book is for you. You will learn the absolute basics and nothing more. Keep that in mind: you will not learn anything beyond the basics. If you're looking for something a little more comprehensive, then look somewhere else. However, if you are looking for a short, basic introduction to the world of UNIX so you can get around, this book is definitely for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Just too little information
Review: Like alot MacOS fans I was looking forward to OS X and a return to unix, which I have not used since graduating from college over a decade ago. But this book hardly scratches the surface. You might as well buy Pogue's OS X book, which covers roughly the same Unix information. I doubt anyone, using OS X, would seriously consider using pine as an email client so why the chapter? Instead of this book just find one the free unix sites ...
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good book for wading into the UNIX pool
Review: This is a fairly small book. It covers the basics of UNIX that someone who is coming from the Mac world will find helpful. If you think you are going to become an major UNIX geek, I would recommend UNIX in a nutshell instead.
Rating: 
Summary: A good start
Review: This is a good start for Unix on OS X. However, I finished it quickly and it just left me with more questions and a need to purchase a more exhaustive book on Unix if I want to truly get into it.However, it does do a good job explaining the Unix file system, permissions and can help you streamline the process of copying or moving large numbers of files and dealing with their permissions without dealing with the Aqua interface which is overly cumbersome for those tasks.
Rating:
Summary: A good start
Review: This is a good start for Unix on OS X. However, I finished it quickly and it just left me with more questions and a need to purchase a more exhaustive book on Unix if I want to truly get into it. However, it does do a good job explaining the Unix file system, permissions and can help you streamline the process of copying or moving large numbers of files and dealing with their permissions without dealing with the Aqua interface which is overly cumbersome for those tasks.
Rating:
Summary: Good Starting Introduction
Review: This is a pleasant introduction to Unix that someone just starting out with Mac OS X will find very useful. Don't bother with this if you are already experienced with Unix or Linux, but if you've never been at a Unix command line in your life, this is a good place to start. I liked that the authors went to some effort to cover what could go wrong with the examples they used. I think it was also good that they covered Fink and a few Unixy applications like Pine. There are bigger and more inclusive books out there, but the brevity of this (128 pages) makes it very non-threatening for the command-line phobic. The back cover states that its target audience is traditional Macintosh users, and while I don't fall into that category at all, I suspect that even the most fearful will find this to be a painless experience. I did think it a little odd that the Apple Developer Connection considers this a "Recommended Title". While it's certainly true that developers can be just as Unix naive as anyone else, I would think that most Mac Developers would want something far more techy than this. I don't mean to imply that this is just fluff; but it definitely is just a light surface treatment and wouldn't seem to take a developer where they probably want to go. I could be wrong, of course.
Rating:
Summary: A great, succinct book
Review: This is a terrific introduction to the Unix underneath Mac OS X from a couple of authors that know Unix inside-out. With coverage of the Terminal app, shell scripting, aliases, changing your command prompt, how to launch Aqua apps from the command line, and much, much more, I think it's a great addition to your Mac OS X library. It is less than 200 pages, but, frankly, I found this refreshing, given that I have lots of 700-900 page books that I only read the first 50-100 pages of anyway. The authors haven't been too badly influenced by their longer books either - Learning Unix for Mac OS X doesn't have page after page of useless "history" and "philosophy" in this tome. It's all focused and has lots of helpful examples.
Rating:
Summary: VERY basic
Review: This is a useful book for anyone who has no knowledge of UNIX commands, or whose knowledge is minimal. Otherwise, I would recommend "Mac OS X for UNIX Geeks" instead.
Rating:
Summary: VERY basic
Review: This is a useful book for anyone who has no knowledge of UNIX commands, or whose knowledge is minimal. Otherwise, I would recommend "Mac OS X for UNIX Geeks" instead.
Rating:
Summary: BRUSH AND BRUSH, YET, NO SHINE!
Review: Unless you are a complete UNIX dummy, there is not much to expect (or benefit) from this book. Its meager 158 pages only succeeded in brushing around the very basics (and simple commands). Apart from its cogent narrations on how best a novice could explore UNIX applications and use command interface, there is little that shine in this book.
Anyone who knows one or two things about UNIX is likely to be disappointed by its inept coverage. Hence, I would advise such person to opt for "Mac OS X for Unix Geeks", which provided a more palatable gist in a chronological order. Versatile enthusiasts, who are interested in advanced explorations, should consider "Mac OS X Unleashed". One of its chapters on Unix-Mac relationships did eclipse anything this book can boast of.
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