From: cord@msheinz.psych.nat.tu-bs.de (Cord Hockemeyer)
Subject: REVIEW: Making TeX Work by Norman Walsh
Date: 9 Feb 1995 19:20:07 GMT

REVIEW: Norman Walsh: Making TeX Work, O'Reilly & Associates (ORA), 1994
        ISBN: 1-56592-051-1, 522 pages, $29.95 (US)


Opposed to all the other books about TeX, LaTeX etc. `Making TeX Work'
does not describe the `language' of TeX. Instead its goal is to help
e.g. system administrators to install TeX even without having TeX
experience as a background.

Walsh describes a number of (free and commercial) TeX systems
available for workstations (UNIX), PCs (DOS, MS-Windows and OS/2),
and Macintoshes. There he gives the `Local Guide' mentioned in
general TeX books so often which is nonexistent for most TeX
implementations.

Besides that he gives good explanations of the things around TeX:
macro packages, fonts, previewers, printer drivers, combination of
TeX and Postscript, writing of indices and glossariesi, etc. The
book is completed with an annotated list of utilities (e.g. conversion
tools) and style files together with their location on the internet
(in general the position in the CTAN archives).


First I had some problems with this book because I started reading it
with another intention. I highly recommend it for people (i.e. system
administrators) who want to know what they should install and how they
should do this. For those who just want to use TeX there are other
books. Most interesting for me were - so far - the parts on the
different styles and utilities around TeX. The book tells you what
exists, where you can get it, and how you can install it. Usage
explanations you should search somewhere else.



(C) 1995
Cord Hockemeyer
Braunschweig, Germany
C.Hockemeyer@tu-bs.de

DISCLAIMER:  I have no interest, financial or otherwise, in the success
or failure of the book or materials reviewed herewith, nor have I
received any compensation (other than a review copy offered to me by ORA)
>from anyone who has.
All opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Trademarks are property of their holders even if not marked as such.


--
Cord Hockemeyer, TU Braunschweig, Abt. Math. u. Sozialpsychologie
email: C.Hockemeyer@tu-bs.de / i3160503@dbstu1.bitnet