While simple ideas, taken together they will teach developers to program in a way that will allow them to become most successful using UNIX. These ideas will also make UNIX administrators more effective by helping them understand why the programs they use work the way they do.

But why does the world need a book that outlines and teaches the history, culture, and philosophy behind UNIX development? To begin with, we need it because many of the original UNIX pioneers are getting to the point of retiring now. Much of the lore behind the early development of UNIX and how it came to be is an oral (and Usenet-based) history; if no one writes it down in a single place, much of it will simply be lost.

Also, with the explosion of Linux, there are now many more developers using UNIX than there ever were before. It's important to the community in existence now that we pass these stories and the culture and values we've created to this new generation.

It also takes developers a long time to learn all this if they have to learn it on their own. I spent close to five years as a C/UNIX developer and can tell you having this book would've helped me understand how to become more effective much faster.

But even more important is understanding this culture and its impact on the history (and future) of Linux. As Linux becomes more and more popular and its worldwide economic impact grows, the pressures on it to become controlled and directed by major corporations will grow as well. The only thing that will ensure its independence, and potentially its survival, will be the community around it. The culture and philosophy outlined in this book can help tie the community together and strengthen it.

After all, what is a community except a group of individuals united by a common purpose and sharing a common culture, philosophy, and values?