Although some general principles for software tool building are included in this book, it is addressed to UNIX systems; the tools in this book are written using available UNIX tools. The book is written around watcher, a general tool developed by the author, which allows him to review each of the major UNIX tools and to discuss recommendations for tool building. He discusses the basic functionality of each tool and offers some examples.

Nothing is said about the target audience but, because of the order in which tools are explained, reading the book will be easier if you have some knowledge of UNIX philosophy, regular expressions, and the like. Knowledge of C programming will be helpful when reading the examples. Ingham stresses the tools that are less frequently treated in the UNIX literature, such as lex, yacc, and make. The explanations of these tools are quite clear, and the reader gains an idea of their main functionality. References to standard UNIX documentation and to some classic books on UNIX are included for readers who want to know more about these tools. The length of the book is quite adequate (you can read the book in two sittings). Concepts are precisely explained, and the book includes plenty of examples. The reader learns how to build UNIX tools and discovers possibilities offered by UNIX for this kind of development.

One of the strengths of the book is its appendices, which include useful information for the newcomer to UNIX: the manual structure (something that is often forgotten but very helpful) and information about several international UNIX forums from which more information can be obtained. Another strength is the inclusion of the source code of watcher (although the makefile, which generates the code, is not included).

The typography used for normal text and for different levels of paragraphs makes reading the book easier. A well-structured index at the end of the book helps a lot when looking for a specific item. Furthermore, the text includes plenty of cross-references to other sections dealing with the same subject (in the best UNIX style). This volume is suited for you if you need to refresh or widen your knowledge of UNIX.