To get the most out of this book

The book assumes that you are comfortable using a command-line interface, though doesn't require any formal shell scripting skills. Basic language-agnostic programming knowledge is also assumed, and, in some cases, a familiarity with a particular language would be beneficial, though isn't a requirement.

As the book covers many languages and technologies, it is unlikely the reader will be familiar with all of them. As such, a willingness to learn is certainly recommended.