Hi Nick
I have just checkeked my llocal libary and it has several copies of "Running Linux" so I will direct them there.
You might want to look at the book first before recommending it to your friends. It is an excellent book - I often use it for reference - but focuses mainly on the command line which may not be what you want.
If I read your message correctly you want to guide people to use things like konqueror, mozilla, KMail, Evolution, OpenOffice etc with the minimum of 'techie' stuff. This is the way things are moving as more people want to try out a linux desktop but I'm not sure that any book like that exists yet for the general reader.
I suggest that you see if you can find a copy of the the 'Linux for Dummies' book as that is probably nearer to what you're looking for.
Mandrake also make their documentation available for free download and the User Guide may also be a useful place to start as it covers many of the apps and basic concepts as well as the mandrake-specific stuff.
Changing the subject , Yast update on Suse 9.0 has installed M$ fonts, which I do not like at all , insert dumb question << How do I remove them>>> I have found fonts in /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts , are the M$ the true type?
Did you get any feedback on this? I can post you a list of the MS webfonts if that would help.
Do you have the Bitstream Vera fonts - they are increasingly distributed as Free alternatives. I have imported some MS fonts as they help for rendering some webpages (on sites where font info is poorly coded and does not include user-set fonts as a display option) and for displaying some MS Office documents in OpenOffice but use the Bitstream fonts as my own desktop and application defaults.
HTH Syd