UNIX System Administrator's Bible [With Full Distribution Copy of Freebsd 2.2.5]

It's impossible to cover everything about Unix in one book. And this book should not be you the first or the only Unix sysadmin book. I think that book devoted to a particular flavor of Unix (one that you are using) should be the first one. But this is a very good general book and it does contain information that other books often miss to cover. IMHO the book is slightly biased toward Solaris. A couple of chapters would be interesting for a professional of any level and that IMHO more than justify the cost of the book. For example I especially like Ch.5 (TCP/IP networking), Ch.7 (Administration Roles and Strategies) and Ch 19 (Setting up DNS server). Your mileage may vary. I think the biggest success of the book is Chapter 7: Administration Roles and Strategies.That chapter is a must for a novice sysadmin and is very useful for professionals too. Another interesting part of the book is a very educating case study (a non-trivial POP client troubleshooting case) in the chapter 13. It's one of the best general books on Unix administration.

This book is the exception rather than the norm. It starts by providing you with the background to the OS's development and takes you from the basics onwards. An essential guide for anyone inheriting any unix administration duties. It is well written, clear and concise. The edition with FreeBSD 2.2.5 also allows for experimentation on a non business critical system. From novice to experienced admin this book will not just sit on the shelf

All the behind the scenes tasks that I didn't quite understand are cleared up in the book. I plan to use it for many InformationTechnology-years to come (which, unfortnately are shorter than calendar years)

At last, a book with techniques to be proactive in administering Unix machines!

It will load you up with good info about maintaining your network and keeping it at it's best. A must for any computer guru!