Larry Ullman

Provides a solid foundation in server-side scripting techniques and PHP core functions. Enough to get you started. The final chapter, on Regular Expressions, is nearly useless now because the POSIX functions it covers are deprecated with PHP 5.3.

Having spent quite a lot of cash in an effort to learn PHP, I chanced across Larry Ullman's book - and without reservation I can say this is one of the best books on the subject for someone who wishes to learn PHP.
The examples are easy to follow and practical. Clear explanations are given as to why you construct a script in the methods provided, and the book is backed by a very useful forum.

Very easy to read. Although it is technically comprehensive of both PHP5 and MySQL6, the first two chapters focus on basic PHP and the remainder of the book is on MySQL6. For a starter book on learning PHP it highlights most functions that you would use at a beginner level but just when you are starting to 'get it' they switch gears and go into MySQL. Overall a good book but if you want to learn more about PHP than just 2 chapters you should look elsewhere.

The first book in the new Visual QuickProject Guide series that I've read -- and it's outstanding. Short and to the point, I can't wait to start applying its lessons. I have to confess that the most dog-eared book I own is a Visual QuickStart Guide -- Elizabeth Castro's Perl and CGI for the World Wide Web, which is pretty comprehensive for a thin volume. This one is different -- it's not at all comprehensive, but seems eminently usable.