Windows PowerShell is a new command-line shell and scripting language designed to help IT pros handle system administration more easily.

And it's no longer an add-on: It comes bundled with Windows Server 2008. Consequently, you'll probably want to learn everything you can about it.

Enter Mastering PowerShell, a new book that teaches you everything you could ever want to know about PowerShell, from using objects (Chapter 6) to finding and avoiding errors (Chapter 11) to creating your own cmdlets and extensions (Chapter 20).

Author Dr. Tobias Weltner is a PowerShell MVP and owner of PowerShell.com.

Hope you're not hung up on dead trees, because Mastering PowerShell is available exclusively in e-book form (as a PDF). (You can also read individual chapters online.) Even better, it's available absolutely free. That makes it a must-have for anyone working with WS08.

This massive tome (550-plus pages) is available for download immediately, no strings attached. Gotta love that!

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