# Unix Power Tools by Jerry Peek, Tim O'Reilly and Mike Loukides

4 Hacker News commenters recommended Unix Power Tools by Jerry Peek, Tim O'Reilly and Mike Loukides and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 5 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Collection of Unix and shell tricks that people recommend as a go-to reference, saying it still holds up after 24 years.

## Why people recommend it

- Still useful after decades (2 comments): "People really do need to read the “Unix Power Tools” book and realize their problem has been solved for decades." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47088760)) "After 24 years and it is still useful." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49730569))
- Go-to reference for Unix problems (2 comments): "People really do need to read the “Unix Power Tools” book and realize their problem has been solved for decades." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47088760)) "best described in the Unix Power Tools" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47394816))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Encyclopaedia Britannica](https://hackerapproved.com/p/encyclopedia-britannica.md): 29 recommend
- [507 Mechanical Movements by Henry T. Brown](https://hackerapproved.com/p/507-mechanical-movements.md): 12 recommend
- [The Ashley Book of Knots by Clifford Ashley](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ashley-book-of-knots.md): 8 recommend
- [World Book Encyclopedia by World Book](https://hackerapproved.com/p/world-book-encyclopedia.md): 5 recommend
- [The Atlas of Middle-earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad](https://hackerapproved.com/p/atlas-of-middle-earth.md): 5 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1565922603?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9781565922600) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Unix Power Tools by Jerry Peek, Tim O'Reilly and Mike Loukides", https://hackerapproved.com/p/unix-power-tools/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).