[LarryA]

Programming PHP - O'Rielly its not the cutting edge book (2006), but it is by PHP founders and a good ground-start to get a feel for the language and what the commands can do. I learned quite a bit more on how many of the commands work than what other books covered. You will still need a good OOP book,

for OOP I've liked PHP Objects, Patterns and Practice by Matt Zandstra

Some Classic Computing Non-Fiction (circa 80s and earlier): * Soul of a New Machine - Tracy Kidder * Fire in the Valley - Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine * Hackers - Steve Levy * Commodore: A Company on the Edge - Brian Bagnall (get the second edition) * The Psychology of Computer Programming by Gerald M. Weinberg - for being written in 1971 (with an updated edition in 98) it is very interesting and still relevant. * Coders at Work: Reflections on the Craft of Programming by Peter Seibel - interviews of many luminary programmers, how they got stated and what they have done.

[swordswinger12]

The book 'Crypto' by Levy is also good.