What’s on your bookshelf?
The Official Ubuntu Book
For Ubuntu users, this one is a real gem. This is your “soup to nuts” type good starter book for Ubuntu users. It is great reference material for everything from the history and idea behind the Ubuntu distribution to more advanced topics like using Ubuntu as a server and even touches on different offshoots of Ubuntu like Kubuntu and Edubuntu. What will really make a difference to a newer Ubuntu user (or just a new Linux user) is the sections of this book which give detailed instructions on how to use different available pieces of software to accomplish tasks like getting your email going, drawing pictures with Gimp, finding your files and so fourth. There is also a great section of the book dealing with common issues and troubleshooting problems like fixing an incorrect screen resolution.
A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux
As great an Ubuntu book as the last one is for the desktop Ubuntu user, this one is that and more of it! Even though this book is for a little older version of Ubuntu, the information in it is absolutely expansive. If you cannot find a reference in here on how to get a certain task accomplished, I would really be surprised 🙂 This book goes through the general information like setup and install like most books do, and then gives you HUNDREDS of examples of how to get things done with your Ubuntu install. It’s really a pretty great book, and the one that I am going to pass on to a new Ubuntu user friend of mine.