The Unix-Haters Handbook
The Unix-Haters Handbook by Garfinkel, Weise and Strassmannby Simson Garfinkel
Ranked 4 of 7 computer science books by recommenders
Recommended as a sharp, memorable critique of Unix design that has stayed with some readers for years. One critic dismisses it as biased, and another says it does not go far enough.
Recommended as a sharp, memorable critique of Unix design that has stayed with some readers for years. One critic dismisses it as biased, and another says it does not go far enough.
9 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 8
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 89%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 8 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 8 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Lasting lessons from reading it
“I read the unix-hater's handbook about 15 years ago and it taught me a LOT, maybe even changed my life.”
Comment from 7 Jan 2026 in “Can I start using Wayland in 2026?” Sound critique of Unix problems
“UHH is obviously sound but doesn't go far enough in criticizing the unix disaster.”
Comment from 15 Nov 2025 in “Unix Hater's Handbook Stinks” Explains Unix design flaws in depth
“there's a whole chapter in the UNIX-HATERS Handbook explaining why”
Comment from 3 Feb 2026 in “Linux from Scratch Ends SysVinit Support”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Dismissed as biased and sour
“But that book is a waste. It is just MIT dunning-krugerites who were salty that LISP machines never took off.”
Comment from 3 Feb 2026 in “Linux from Scratch Ends SysVinit Support” Does not criticize Unix far enough
“UHH is obviously sound but doesn't go far enough in criticizing the unix disaster.”
Comment from 15 Nov 2025 in “Unix Hater's Handbook Stinks”
Other computer science books people recommend
The four most recommended other computer science books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Garbage Collection Handbookby Jones, Richard | 16 | 5 | 76% | 4 | — | Approved |
| Beej's Guide to Learning Computer Scienceby Brian Hall | 15 | 2 | 88% | 1 | — | — |
| Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Softwareby Charles Petzold | 12 | 0 | 100% | 8 | — | Approved |
| The Unix-Haters Handbookby Simson GarfinkelThis page | 8 | 1 | 89% | 4 | — | — |
| Codeby Charles Petzold | 7 | 1 | 88% | 5 | — | — |
What people said
5 of the 9 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“But that book is a waste. It is just MIT dunning-krugerites who were salty that LISP machines never took off.”
“Hardly the piece of OS beauty that gets praised about FOSS circles.”
“there's a whole chapter in the UNIX-HATERS Handbook explaining why”
“I read the unix-hater's handbook about 15 years ago and it taught me a LOT, maybe even changed my life.”
“UHH is obviously sound but doesn't go far enough in criticizing the unix disaster.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.