C,

The terminal provides an intimate and powerful connection to the Unix environment which underlies Mac OS X. It is like a very sharp two-edged sword. You can conquer all or cut off your foot.

A good way to start learning is with Take Control books:

" Take Control of the Mac Command Line with Terminal

Learn how to release your inner geek!

If you've ever thought you should learn how to use the Unix command line that underlies Mac OS X, or felt at sea when typing commands into Terminal, Joe Kissell is here to help! This 111-page ebook will help you become comfortable working on the Mac's command line, starting with the fundamentals and walking you through more advanced topics as your knowledge increases. And if you're uncertain how to put your new-found skills to use, Joe includes numerous real-life "recipes" for tasks that are best done from the command line."

http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/command-line

And, when you get really hooked there is

http://developer.apple.com/mac...on/Introduction.html and
http://developer.apple.com/mac...g/ShellScripting.pdf
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This message has been edited. Last edited by: James R. Cutler,