Books

V. Anton Spraul's Think Like a Programmer, Python Edition

What is programming? Sure, it consists of syntax and the assembly of code, but it is essentially a means to solve problems. To study programming, then, is to study the art of problem solving, and a new book from V. Anton Spraul, Think Like a Programmer, Python Edition, is a guide to sharpening skills in both spheres.

Read a Book in the Blink of an Eye!

I love reading. Sadly, the 24 hours I get per day seems to be inadequate for the tasks I need to accomplish. That might change as my teenagers turn into college kids and then begin to start families of their own. For now, however, between drama class and basketball practice, it seems like it takes about 30 hours to accomplish a 24-hour day.

Gabriel Ford, Sadie Ford and Melissa Ford's Hello, Scratch!

In the new book Hello, Scratch! (published by Manning Publications), parents and kids work together to learn programming skills, but not in just any old way. They create new versions of old retro-style arcade games with the Scratch open-source visual programming language from the MIT Media Lab.

J. and K. Fidler's Cut the Cord, Ditch the Dish, and Take Back Control of Your TV (Iron Violin Press)

Prospective TV cable-cutters, even those with technical abilities, often are flummoxed in the face of choosing between all of the content options and new technologies available. Reliable sources of complete and neutral information in this space are hard to find, and the fun evaporates rapidly when you're faced with hours of stumbling through forums and strings of searches.

Steve Suehring's CompTIA Linux+ and LPIC Practice Tests (Sybex)

Possessing Linux skills is valuable in today's IT job market where demand for talent outstrips supply. Getting certified proves you have the chops to do the job, and two well worn paths to Linux certification are the Computing Technology Industry Association's CompTIA Linux+ and the Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC).

Brent Laster's Professional Git (Wrox)

More than 40% of software developers use the massively popular software development tool Git as their primary source control tool. Those new to the Git fold who are looking for a professional, up-to-date guide to get them rolling have a new resource in Brent Laster's new book Professional Git.

Gordon H. Williams' Making Things Smart (Maker Media, Inc.)

Pretty much anything in the O'Reilly spin-off Make: series is like catnip to us Linux cats, and the new book Making Things Smart is no exception. The book is subtitled Easy Embedded ARM Programming For Transforming Everyday Objects Into Intelligent Machines and is authored by Gordon H. Williams.

Dave Taylor and Brandon Perry's Wicked Cool Shell Scripts (No Starch Press)

The new second edition of Dave Taylor and Brandon Perry's classic Wicked Cool Shell Scripts, published by No Starch Press, features a smorgasbord of favorite scripts and 23 brand-new ones. Subtitled 101 Scripts for Linux, OS X, and UNIX Systems, Taylor and Perry's guide features a collection of useful, customizable and fun shell scripts

Bruce Nikkel's Practical Forensic Imaging (No Starch Press)

Forensic image acquisition is an important part of the process of after-the-fact incident response and evidence collection. Digital forensic investigators acquire, preserve and manage digital evidence as part of criminal and civil court cases; they examine violations of organizational policy; and they analyze cyber attacks.

Jose Dieguez Castro's Introduction to Linux Distros (Apress)

Although Linux always has been a diverse ecosystem, once upon a time, just a handful of Linux distributions, or distros, existed. Do you recall Yggrasil, Trans-Ameritech and the original S.u.S.E. (which begat SuSE, SUSE and openSUSE)? Today, literally hundreds of Linux flavors exist, each with its own unique offerings.

2014 Book Roundup

As I write these words, the end of the year is approaching, and with it, so is the time for my annual book roundup. As in past years, in this article, I describe books that were new to me during the past 12 months, which means that I might well mention some new ones or ignore others that simply didn't come to my attention.