PowerShell is the next generation scripting language from Microsoft for their new product lines. Exchange 2007 definitely uses it and will require at least a passing familiarity with it if you are going to get anywhere as an Exchange administrator. I was reading up on it and it looks like a lot of fun. It's sort of like old batch scripting used to be but organized with built in help files like *nix systems, only benefiting from a standardized implementation. One nice thing about writing something new, is you can hopefully integrate everything you've learned over the years in with it and Microsoft seems to have done that rather well. Detailed help with examples, the ability to chain commands together with sort and output filters... Looks like a lot of fun.

So, over at the PowerShell Guy's blog he linked to a free PowerShell book. It was written by Frank Kock at Microsoft Switzerland (English version) and seems organized for self learning or a class. It's 28 pages of material with answers in the back and a few appendix pages of reference material to read.

I'm about half way through and am finding it a nice easy introduction to the subject. I really need to go and find the time to view the webcasts on it as well.