syslog

"Knowledge is not skill. Knowledge plus ten thousand times is skill." -- Shinichi Suzuki

I was reminded of this quote while reading the article "Digital Technology and the Skills Shortage" by Neville Holmes in the March 2007 issue of ACM's Computer magazine. In the article, Holmes describes the value of repetition for increasing the skill level of students and discusses the link between skill and intelligence. He says: "

Skill and intelligence are closely related. Intelligence is perhaps best defined as the unconscious application of skill to the conscious solving of problems. Therefore, the more skill someone has in any area, the more intelligently the person can function."

Acquiring skill in any area, such as systems administration, requires time and experience, but rewards are found in a broader and deeper understanding of the subject and in the increased ability to perform tasks and solve problems. As Holmes puts it: "

Increasing skills lets a person do unthinkingly what would otherwise require thought, and to do thinkingly what otherwise wouldn't be possible."

On that note, I want to mention W. Curtis Preston's Backup and Recovery, which was recently published by O'Reilly. Curtis, a former columnist for Sys Admin and now a consultant for various companies, is an acknowledged expert on the subject of backup and recovery. His book contains an accumulation of the knowledge gained during years of experience in the field -- knowledge that will help systems administrators think about backup and recovery problems more intelligently and with deeper understanding.

Cameron Laird reviewed the book for UnixReview.com and had this to say:

Backup & Recovery (B&R) is marvelous. Many times, when I read professional material, I think, "Was it worth making a book from this? Is there real substance here?" For B&R, the answers are "yes": I'm willing to fell trees for these pages.

I mean that in a very strong sense. B&R is like the works of Edward Tufte or Donald E. Knuth or even, let's say, Stanley Kubrick or Eric Clapton: you can't help but see the world in a different way afterward, but one that's deeply rooted in the truths you already know. B&R is a work of artistry.

Wow. That's an amazing endorsement. And, for those of you who aren't familiar with Cameron's delightful reviews, I might point out that he is not typically effusive in his praise. Thoughtful and thorough and precise, yes, but not effusive. Cameron is right, though; this book is important. Buy it. This is knowledge you need for those next ten thousand backups (and recoveries).

Sincerely yours,

Amber Ankerholz
Editor in Chief