bash programming basic

[Phil Mendelsohn <mend0070@tc.umn.edu>]

Two questions on bash shell programming:

1:	Any favorite references -- books that one shouldn't be without?

2:	If a guy wanted to return the input from a command (such as 'date')
to a script variable, what would be the best way to do it?  I seem to
have hit a brain block on this one.  (I know -- it's a pretty newbie
question.)

If you could cc: any replies to me at mend0070@tc.umn.edu, I might get
to strike while the iron's hot instead of waiting for the digest post to
arrive.

Garcias!

Phil Mendelsohn