Rating: 
Summary: Great reference, but get Learning Perl if Perl is new to you
Review: This book really told me what I needed to know when I went to it for a reference, but if I didn't know the language already, it would have taken longer to learn than using Learning Perl. Great reference book, but not a great teaching book
Rating:
Summary: #1 Choice!
Review: Execelent! Perl wouldn't be the same without "The Perl Bible"!
Rating: 
Summary: A reference book for perl/unix experts only!
Review: Indispensible as a reference book, but a poor choice if you are just starting out with perl. The geeky attempts at humor and general tone of "look how clever we are" frequently get in the way of explaining the concepts at hand, apart from being very tiresome. Chapter 4 on references and nested data structures is particularly obscure.
Rating:
Summary: Simple, but comprehensive book with a sense of humor
Review: This book has taught me exactly what I needed to know when I bought it. I was looking for a complete Perl reference, and got it.
It tells you about the history of Perl, and how to program in Perl, from the most simple of scripts to an advanced Shopping Cart CGI program. It even explains all about Perl's file handling capabilities.
If you want to learn Perl, this IS the book to get! It's a good idea if you have at least some programming experience, but is not necessary with this book, unlike some other programming books. To sum up, then: GET IT! :)
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book for Learning and Working with Perl !!!
Review: This is by far, the Best Book for Learning and Working with Perl. I never work without it next to me.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent for the experienced programmer
Review: As with all O'Reilly books, Programming Perl is an excellent publication. The Camel, as it is known, is written for programmers who are experienced. Larry, Tom and Randal do an excellent job with this absolutely necessary piece.
Rating: 
Summary: A Festival of Footnotes
Review: Eeesh, this thing reminds me of someone that just got a new word processor and discovered how to insert footnotes into their text. Just because you -can- doesn't mean you -should-. All in all an above average programming book but a little rough in places. Written in a rather informal tone it is really a pleasent read, much more than most programming books. Unfortunately the author makes the mistake of using concepts well before their introduction in the text, resulting in a rabbit-hunt for information. One example is 'my' which is refered to and used early in the second chapter (talking about file globbing) but not defined for 54 more pages! As a previous reviewer said this book is probably a great book assuming you already know the language! Unfortunately, I only know awk and sed, so perhaps I have a bit of a leg up, but woe be to the unitiated. O'Reilly has done better...
Rating:
Summary: Let the camel's nose in the tent...
Review: ...and the rest of him will follow. Just like this book--start reading it, and you'll be a Perl-fan for life. It is simultaneously tutorial, reference and irresistable propaganda for the Perl language. Also the only computer book I've read with a chapter on poetry (written in, yes, believe it, syntactically correct Perl).
Rating: 
Summary: Perldoc set to pulp...sans soul
Review: Like other reviewers, I was expecting the masterful style that pervaded the first edition (Perl v4). Maybe the sheer density of the subject matter (the many new features and object-orientation of Perl v5) precluded the tutorials and chatty approach of the predecessor. Gone are Job, his sons and daughters (Eyeshadow Kit!) along with much of Larry and Randall's humanity and sheer joy of the language. This is, however, a must-have resource for those who don't have the facilities to prepare a hard copy of the on-line documentation that comes with the Perl distribution. It's evident that the language has matured and become more serious. This tome reflects that evolution accurately.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as the first edition
Review: I was disappointed with the second edition of Programming Perl. The first edition taught me the language. It was rich with examples and simple explanations. The second edition, however, I find to be lacking in the examples of the first. Sure, it shows all of the functions, syntax, and other necessary things, but this book confirms something for me: the object-oriented features of Perl are ugly and are nothing but an add-on to the language. The structure and syntax are awkward and difficult to understand. Even when I am programming for a Perl 5 interpreter, I still find myself reaching for the first edition over the second edition. This is the first time I've ever been disappointed by a book from O'Reilly and Associates. The second edition is still an excellent reference and I do refer to it, but I'm keeping my first edition handy for its readability, examples, and better explanations. It may be a "must have" for Perl programmers, but don't discard your first edition.
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