Perl: The Programmer's Companion
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Spotlight Customer Reviews
Average Customer Rating: 4.18Customer Rating: 5
Summary: Let's this talented teacher guide you through Perl's jungle
Comment: When I bought "Perl: The Programmer's Companion", I had a number of others books on Perl already, among which the well-known "Camel book" ("Programming Perl" by Larry Wall et al.). None of those books satisfied me: they were written by people more good at writing smart programs than understandable manuals.
"Perl: The Programmer's Companion" belongs to an higher class: the class of book written by talented, professional teachers. In this book, every single feature of Perl is clearly explained in detail. You can find simple, clear, meaningful and reusable examples of every element of the language. The book is clearly structured and it is easy to find what you need.
The author demonstrates a clear understanding of the human learning process, besides a clear dominance of the Perl language. You can follow him trustfully and relaxed: he will tell you what you need to know, without overloading and confusing you with irrelevant details.
If you are looking for your first (and last) book on Perl, this is the best you can find on the market.
Customer Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent for learning Perl if you are literate
Comment: One of the other reviewers (who gave the book only 2 stars) complained: >The wording was difficult to interpret. It seemed as if it was written for someone in their fourth year of college at Harvard University (which sort of an exagerration, but it did seem like that at times).<
The reviewer may not realize that the author is British. The British generally seem to be more articulate than Americans, so the language reflects that difference.
That aside, this book is a good choice for new Perl programmers, in that it is less "techie", although it still has some real substance to it.
Customer Rating: 1
Summary: Not a useful reference book
Comment: Not a good choice for a reference book. Would be useful only if interested in light reading about a subject that you are already familiar with. I would highly encourage any newbie or anyone wanting to get real work done to avoid this book.... your time and money (sorry I already spent mine) would best be spent elsewhere.