By Illiad
April 2000
Pages: 132
ISBN 10: 1-56592-861-X |
ISBN 13: 9781565928619
(Average of 4 Customer Reviews)
This book is OUT OF PRINT.
Book descriptionThe follow-up to the highly successful first collection of User Friendly comic strips, Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell tells the continuing tale of Columbia Internet, "the friendliest, hardest-working and most neurotic little Internet Service Provider in the world." User Friendly reads like Dilbert for the Open Source community. It provides outsiders a light-hearted look at the world of the hard core geek and allows those who make their living dwelling in this world a chance to laugh at themselves.
Full Description
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Cover | Sample Strips | Colophon
Book details
First Edition: April 2000
ISBN: 1-56592-861-X
Pages: 132
Average Customer Reviews: (Based on 4 Reviews)
Featured customer reviews
Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell Review, September 25 2003
The User Friendly (UF) Comic Strip is about the saga
of a cast of characters who work at or are somehow involved
with Columbia Internet, a fictional Internet Service Provider.
This is the second of four (so far) book compilations
of the User Friendly comic strip.
What did you expect from the book?
Based on the title of the book,
I expected a humorous guide to world domination
in something like the format of an O'Reilly Nutshell book.
I also expected lots of User Friendly strips
and especially ones involving Cthulhu, Pitr and Crud Puppy,
who are all evil geniuses.
I expected to encounter some other evil geniuses as well,
for example, Bill Gates.
Did you get what you expected?
Well:
* The book is geeky funny.
* The book contains plenty of UF strips,
actually more than I expected.
* Pitr appears often.
However:
* The book doesn't focus on world domination.
* Cthulhu does not appear at all.
We don't see much of Crud Puppy either. Darn! :(
* The format is not that of a Nutshell book.
For example, there is no table of contents or index.
The book is very funny,
but it does not deliver fully on the title of the book.
I think it's time for a second edition
with more focussed content
and following, more closely, the format
of a typical O'Reilly Nutshell book.
Who's the book for?
The book is appropriate for geeks
and people interested in learning about geeks and geek culture.
[This review was written for Oakland.pm.]
Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell Review, January 04 2001
This book is da greatest. I'm becoming a evil geniuse Mwuahahahahaha. This book cracks me up anytime i read id. ALso it was practically impossible to find. Checked in 4 different book stores. They said it wasn't in stock. You should see wut kindaz tech questions i get:
How do I turn on the computer?
why does internet explorer crash so much? (microsoft product da)
Why do u know so muchabout computers? i'm a tech Geek da
Do u have a life? Nyet
Can i be a tech? not in ur dife
well i live in a world of stupids. wish coloumbia internet was real.
^_^
Evil geniuse
John
aka pitr disciple
Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell Review, June 07 2000
I've read UF for 2 years, and love it, i've got the UF book and love it, now i have this book, and guess what? I love it
And so do my rats :)
Byeeeee
Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell Review, May 22 2000
While I enjoy the cartoons, I was disapointed by the editing. The strips are not in chronological order, some are missing, and one has completely different dialog from the original (Feb. 17 1999.) Also it would be nice if the colour strips were printed in colour.
Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell Review, April 27 2000
Submitted by JP [Respond | View]
Great book.
Being the UF-junky I am, I read it in two hours straight.
This is a must have for any UF-fan.
I'm voting for "BOFH in a nutshell" for the next series :) ( search for 'bofh' or try http://www.iinet.net.au/~bofh/ )
But then again, "Greg's Complete Guide to the Helpdesk" would also be fun to have ;)
Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell Review, April 25 2000
Submitted by Troy [Respond | View]
Even if you have read every User Friendly comic to date, buy it so you can point to it on your bookshelf and say "Don't make me concoct a diabolically evil scheme in which I would ensnare your pitiful a**, Bill! Mua-ha-ha-ha!!!" Or you could just smile (perhaps evilly) when a person notices it on your desk. Too much fun! Thanks O'Reilly!
Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell Review, April 25 2000
Submitted by Carl [Respond | View]
I've been reading Userfriendly for some time now and have been reluctant to buy the books for that reason but with the Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell title and especially the layout, well I just had to have the book to show off to my friends.
Thanks much for the entertainment. It's a great strip.
Carl
Evil Genius
Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell Review, April 24 2000
Submitted by Aya [Respond | View]
Steps for makink best geek comic strip on the net (or in print):
1. Is like your work, only beink better
-Checkski.
2. Is makink you smile and laugh while at said place of business
-Checkski.
3. Is makink you come closer to beink evil genius.
-Am thinking is impossible to be doink #2 and #3! But must read anyway!
Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell Review, April 21 2000
Submitted by Fawad [Respond | View]
Userfriendly is goodski. Book iz highly recommended.
Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell Review, April 21 2000
Submitted by Hageltje [Respond | View]
Whoa first post =)
My advice: read this, it rewlz =)
Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell Review, July 20 1998
Submitted by Mermaid [Respond | View]
I have to say that UF continues to be one of the freshest, funniest strips it has ever been my pleasure to view. Illiad and the gang have done a remarkable job, as usual. I am thrilled to see the quality of work (and humor) has not diminished in the slightest. They are simply, without a doubt, the best...
I have to say, though...well, DRAT! I have been following the advice on how to be an Evil Genuis, which is so nicely laid out in this book, for 2 weeks and *not one person* has noticed! (Evidently they are not moved by my horrid accent.) Argh! I have also noticed that the 'world domination strategy' was a little vague. I need more direction to become Ruler of the World!! SO!! Hurry up with the next offering!
Mermaid
Media reviews
"The comic strip User Friendly has quickly reached cult status amongst UNIX administrators, programmers, and users. Why is this the case? Illiad has a knack for depicting graphically what's on everyone's mind-that the world of computers has gone completely to hell. So, into this crazy world of uncommon common sense, powerless power-users, and maniacal management, Illiad throws his irreverent, witty sense of humor. Just about everyone is familiar with User Friendly, but oddly enough, many people don't realize that Illiad's wonderful comic strip has actually been published, and twice at that! Yes, you can now read User Friendly offline in the luxury of your home! Evil Geniuses is, front-to-back, nothing but delightful User Friendly comic strips. If the mere thought of having offline access to User Friendly makes your toes tingle (even if you won't admit it), then you are in for a treat. Illiad's humor practically seeps through the book as you move from page to page. " --Dustin Puryear, 32bitsonline.com, Sept 2000 "Remember Dilbert in the early days? UF has a similar feel, except the jokes are about Linux distribution wars, Quake III weirdness, and, hey, lots and lots of caffeine. If you're a serious geek, chances are you'll be left ROTFL." -- Patrick Norton, TechTV, April 22, 2000
"For those who've now reached intellectual saturation with Perl, I recommend checking out Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell: A User Friendly Guide to World Domination....a little humorous stimulation is usually the best for overcoming technical overload!" --John Joyce, Scientific Computing and Instrumentation, Sept 2000
"a funny, sophisticated series of plots and subplots that illustrates the conflict of interest between upper management and marketing and those who truly know what they're doing. It's a great find for computer geeks." --Pam Whatley, Lake Computing, Sept 2000
"Looking for a collection of high-tech humor like nothing else you've seen before? Pick up a copy of Evil Geniuses In A Nutshell." -- Mike Madson, Computer Bits, June 2000
"More laughter provoking episodes provided by Illiad. The assortment of comic strips include something for everyone: tech support, programmers, system administrators, and gaming enthusiasts. Illiad's witty approach to topical subjects creates a reflection of the Open Source community which is unique, insightful, and side-splitting." --Elizabeth Zinkann, Sys Admin, July 2000
"Smart and quirky, Illiad's cartoons cut through market-speak with laugh-out-loud humour, documenting the idiosyncrasies of a subculture that's moving fast into the mainstream eye. --Tamsin Todd, amazon.co.uk, May 2000
"One of the characteristics of healthy cultures is that they can poke fun at themselves. I guess the hacker culture is in good health, because User Friendly is hilarious. Its irreverence, sophisticated in-jokes and surrealistic edge are a rocket straight out of the Internet's collective unconscious." --Eric S. Raymond, ubergeek
"...the cartoon is so insightful and captures the essence of today's web industry so brilliantly that it's definitely going to be big." --Nina Furu, columnist, digi.no
"User Friendly has my sides splitting daily. Illiad has taken a step that no one else has done by doing a strip for the Un*x/Geek community thats funny and cute." --Trae McCombs, manager, themes.org
"User Friendly has something that no other cartoon has, the ability to not only be funny, but be exactly like events at your own work. In fact sometimes you think life would be better if you worked for Columbia Internet." - Scott James Remnant, Editor, segfault.org
"It is a funny, sophisticated series of plots and subplots involving a "dust puppy" who was born inside a mega-server, and is involved with a neurotic Internet Service Provider staff Simply put, Evil Geniuses illustrates the conflict of interest between upper management and marketing, and those who truly know what they are doing. It is a great find for computer geeks, who may see themselves in the characters." -Lake Computing, September 1, 2000
"Let's stand up and cheer O'Reilly for publishing J.D. "Illiad" Frazer's collection of "User Friendly" comic strips. It's a badly needed break from the medium of all those serious technical books. This geekly guide to World Domination will rattle your brain cells and clear the air around your monitor. Toss aside your keyboard and guffaw for the hell of it. Have a chuckle break and some inspired digital giggles. Besides, man can't live by Dilbert alone." --Derek Pell, www.dingbatmag.com, September 2000
"So, into this crazy world of uncommon common sense, powerless power-users, and maniacal management, Illiad throws his irreverent, witty sense of humor. Just about everyone is familiar with User Friendly, but oddly enough, many people don't realize that Illiad's wonderful comic strip has actually been published, and twice at that! Yes, you can now read User Friendly offline in the luxury of your home! Evil Geniuses is, front-to-back, nothing but delightful User Friendly comic strips. If the mere thought of having offline access to User Friendly makes your toes tingle (even if you won't admit it), then you are in for a treat. Illiad's humor practically seeps through the book as you move from page to page. (Well, except for Dust Puppy, who is just plain odd.)" --Dustin Puryear, 32bitsonline, Sept. 2000
