Rating: 

• Not distribution specific - the book covers the topics in a way that applies to any and all distributions. The authors have somehow managed to avoid the pitfall of being too general to apply. They give a very good discussion to the topics as well as specific examples for the most popular distributions, showing where they differ. The result is a thorough understanding of the principles, enabling the user to apply their knowledge immediately while providing a strong foundation for future learning.

  
  

• Diverse and thorough range of topics - I was amazed to find such a vast diversity of topics covered in one book. Before reading this book, there were some noteworthy gaps in my knowledge of a Linux system. I found that most of these were filled upon completion of the book. For example, I had only a vague idea how to use a Makefile, let alone hack one or write my own. I was surprised to find a strong introduction to Makefiles in Running Linux. I was also surprised to find topics covered in the book that I was completely unaware of before reading the book (e.g. TEX and groff text processing).

  
  

• Accessible to the average user - this book begins each topic from the ground, assuming nothing about your current knowledge level. It does not, however, attempt to "dumb-down" the topics, teaching you why you do things as well as how. This happy medium is often missing from books as thorough as this one.

  
  

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about their Linux system. It is useful as both an introduction and installation guide to Linux and as a comprehensive presentation of a wide variety of topics.