Head First PHP & MySQL: A Brain-Friendly Guide

I was skeptical about using this book because of the mixed reviews here. But I went ahead and got it anyway and I'm very glad I did! I'm only on chapter 3, but so far I feel like I've retained so much more in these first 100 pages (out of just over 750 pages in the book) than any of the other tutorials I've used! The style is very laid back, as if you were being taught by a friend (rather than some tech-geek). So far they have started with a fun little project about a guy whose dog was kidnapped by aliens and you are helping him track it down via a website we are building for him. This is the first time I've ever given a review, but I felt compelled because I feel the book is just that good. It might not be right for the seasoned pro, but that's obviously not who the book is targeted for. I myself am a graphic designer with ActionScript3 experience and have found the book to be great for someone of my level... Hope that helps, enjoy! :)

I have been trying to learn PHP and MySQL for a couple of months now. I have read (well, started) about 4 beginner's books. I would understand a little bit of it, but then the more I got into a book, the more confused I would get. It just seemed like things were either coming at me too fast or the writing style didn't flow, at which point I stopped learning. Not so with Head First PHP & MySQL. This book I absolutely cannot put down. The style makes learning so easy and fun that I just want to keep reading it. The funny thing is, the first time I saw a Head First book, I thought the layout would hinder my learning, not help it. Boy, was I wrong. Another great thing about this book is the flow. Most PHP and MySQL books start off with about 3-4 chapters of PHP, then 3-4 chapters of MySQL, then the rest of the book teaching you how to use the two programs together. But by the time I got to the chapters learning how to use them together, I had forgotten half the PHP from the first chapters! This book has you writing scripts using PHP AND MySQL in chapter two. but you don't feel rushed. Let me close in describing who I think this book is good for, and who it isn't. If you are three days away from a test in these two subjects, and just need to cram to pass the class and don't care about learning, just passing, then get another book. There are books out there that have specific areas dedicated to each term (variable, array, etc) summed up on two pages. Once you learn something in this book, you will keep using it throughout the book, which is very helpful. I personally have to do things myself, more than once, to pick them up, and this book covers that perfectly, without making one second of this book boring. If you are looking for a specific PHP and MySQL reference to sit on your desk, and quickly look in the index, find a term, and use it, get another book. As the authors state, this is not a reference book. It is meant to be a learners book, read in sequence. If you know some HTML and CSS (didn't seem to me like you even had to know very much), are completely new to PHP and programming in general, and want to learn in a way that allows you to retain what knowledge you pick up, BUY THIS BOOK! It is excellent. All the examples do a wonderful job of illustrating what you just went over in that chapter. Both writers are truly gifted, and have an excellent writing style. The layout is perfect. I can't shower enough praise on this book. Brand new beginners to intermediate level programmers will all benefit from this book. Two thumbs way up!

I have several HEAD FIRST books. I like the format for beginning study of the topics. If you already have a good grasp or are a quick study, you might get turned off by the wordiness. After awhile, you just want to get to the main point. What I like about this book is that it covers the details very well and gets you going quickly. The info on mySQL is a little sparse but you can get information online to help you out when needed. Very good beginner book and I would definitely reoommend it for beginners. By the end of the book you won't feel like a beginner.

This book gets you writing database driven applications right from the start. The book makes learning PHP and MySQL interesting by getting you writing useful programs right away, adding the theory as you go. I can't tell you how many books I've given up on just because they chose to tell you every possible PHP function and syntax variation before they even began to show you how all this is related to an actual database application. The Head First books are just plain fun. Get a few practical apps up and running, then go back to the reference books to learn the nuances of the language.

I've been a big fan of the Heads First series for a long time. The format of the Head First books is unique, engaging and effective. One could consider the Head First series to be comic book like. This is one of the series' great virtues. The interactive layout and thoughtful way illustrations are integrated to text in order to explain 'hard to get concepts' really works. I use the series to learn and teach advanced programming topics. All the exciting things about the Heads First series shines through in PHP & MySQL. Heads First PHP & MySQL is for beginners. There is little prerequisite knowledge required to get benefit from the book. I have learned from years of teaching and mentoring that beginners learn best when presented with information in a way that is fun and hands on. Heads First PHP & MySQL meets this requirement with no problem. The book covers the range of topics that is standard for having a good foundation in programming in general and programming in PHP in particular. After finishing this book the reader will be able to create a data driven web site in PHP, leveraging that special relationship between the PHP programming language and the MySQL database. The reader will know why and how PHP and MySQL go hand in hand. The book throws in some extra tidbits. For example it teaches you how to make a data drive Rss Feed. It's a good example that has real world bearing. Again, this is a beginners book. I caution 'bosses' that while giving this book to aspiring PHP developers is a good thing to do, you should not think that the book will create production ready coders. Coding in a production environment requires experience that is beyond the scope of this work. This being said, I look forward to reading an follow up volume to this work titled, Heads First Really Programming in PHP and MySQL in which the topics of object oriented programming in PHP and implementing the basic software design patterns are explained in a way that only a Heads First book could. Heads First PHP and MySQL is a great beginners book, one that should be on the bookshelf of every up and coming PHP developer.