Interprocess Communications in Linux: The Nooks and Crannies

Rating:
Summary: Great book on IPC topics for intermediate level
Review: This book covers local IPC(pipes,lock files, locking files, semaphores,message queues and shared memory) and remote IPC(RPC, network sockets). It uses EXTENSIVE demo code to explain the concept which really helps you to master the design. This is a great book for both beginners and inter-mediate *nix programmers.
highly recommend.

Rating:
Summary: Great for Beginners!
Review: This book is an excellent introductory book for beginners simply because the author is extremely eloquent in explaining the nooks and crannies. The minor details expressed in-between the core topics covered actually serves to enhance your knowlege of how the OS works. I am taking a class in Advanced Unix Programming and find that by reading ahead of the lectures, I am always fully prepared to answer almost all the questions fielded by the professor, as well as the students. It is pleasantly surprising that most of the questions asked by the students relate to the little minor details that the author slipped in between the paragraphs. My compliments to the author for the brilliant foresight.

I also have the Stevens series. Although the series is well known as the bible of network programming, I feel that this book helps brave a newbie for the more complex and drier narrrative in the Stevens series. Do buy this book if you are a beginner and have no idea where to start. Don't buy this book if you are already familiar with Unix programming and are looking to cover more in-depth material.