What the heck is PowerShell, and why should you care? Is "PowerShell Core" different from "Windows PowerShell?" What is a CLI, anyway, and why is clicking icons so bad? Designed for the absolute newcomer, Don Jones' PowerShell 4N00bs is the friendly, concise, easy-to-follow book that gets you on the right track with PowerShell from the word "go." Designed around PowerShell Core, Microsoft's open-source and cross-platform edition of PowerShell, this book makes it easy to follow along on Windows, Mac, or Linux. You'll learn why PowerShell exists, and Don will carefully point out the 6 main speed bumps that most newcomers trip over - and keep YOU from tripping over them! You'll start your PowerShell experience off the right way, instead of the confused way, and you'll gain the confidence to begin participating in the many helpful PowerShell communities, like PowerShell.org. Don's honest and no-nonsense approach points out the areas where PowerShell "lies," keeping you from being swept up in confusion. Plentiful analogies and stories make PowerShell's more obscure concepts absolutely clear, and abundant examples explain exactly what PowerShell is doing, and why you should care. If you start your PowerShell career off with only one book, this is the one you'll want it to be!
Don Jones has written dozens and dozens of books and ebooks on information technology topics, and is perhaps most well-known in that space for his "Month of Lunches" series, published by Manning. Don's recently branched out into topics like business management, instructional design, and self-improvement/motivational, along with launching books in science fiction and fantasy. Don lives in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, is a huge fan of Disney Parks, and loves Figment best of all.
Really helpful dipping of the toe into PowerShell. This book is a great primer for "Learn Windows PowerShell in a Month of Lunches" (which I plan to delve into next).