the corner office

This morning I finished The Art of Unix Programming, by Eric Raymond. A good book and introduction to the Unix mindset with applicability to software development in general. An added bonus is that it provides a fairly broad introduction to the myriad dev tools that Unix offers - many of which I've heard of but never really understood, and generally been rather intimidated by.

I must admit to wondering at times whether ESR is merely observing or trying to actively influence. If you compare his recent flip-flops re Java, the hacker emblem et al, you get the sense that the man has aspirations of being more than just observer and anthropologist a la The Jargon File and The Cathedral and the Bazaar.

To me, it shows in this book. A few too many case studies are for his own software, for example, and while it shouldn't be an issue for an author to do that, given the context, it left me a little cynical. A few too many places it feels like he's preaching rather than simply codifying. Again, that's inevitable - an author's opinions will come through, but the motives are the issue. Obviously, ESR is entitled to say whatever he wants, and I'm in no position to decide whether he's talking crap, but again, the broader context left me questioning some of what he says, simply because of who's saying it. I ended up questioning whether this is Unix as it is or whether it's Unix with a good dose of what Eric Raymond wants it to be.

I think that's the problem with the book. I have to wonder whether the book wouldn't stand to become even more iconic if Raymond's personality didn't run so clearly through it.

In all though, it's a worthwhile read and I have no doubt that it will become a classic. It's done one important thing for me: it's increased my determination to spend more time working on Linux this year than Windows. Ultimately, Unix is geek heaven, and The Art of Unix Programming paints a very appealing picture of that heaven.