Customer Rating: 
Summary: A great way to get started
Comment: I needed this book for a class in web programming, so I was expecting a basic tutorial in cgi programming. Instead, this book gave me a great overview of the entire perl language, and its application to areas such as system administration and report generation. With a background in C or Unix shell programming, the book is easy to follow but quickly paced. I am looking forward to reading the more advanced Programming Perl to go more in-depth into the language.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Well written, excellent tutorial
Comment: Learning Perl, is probably the BEST place to start for someone desiring to learn and use Perl. I have finished reading it (the first edition) and have found the writing style to be very clear and understandable. Though a little C programming or Unix shell programming would be helpful in learning perl, I don't feel it is absolutely necessary with this book. If you're looking for a good place to start, this is it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: This book saved my life
Comment: I was recently given a large task to complete in a short ammount of time. I had never programed before and was terrified at the thought of my first project being one of such a huge magnitude. However, since I had this book available, I was able to get a quick grasp of the basics and then, with the help of Mr. Schwartz and some source code that I got from a friend, I was able to put together a fully functional web based application that joined the WWW and an Oracle database. Without this book, I would have been lost in a sea of ignorance. Anyone who needs to learn Perl should giver serious consideration to this one. It just may save your life.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The best introduction to Perl
Comment: Absolutely the best way to get started in Perl. Written in a conversational tone.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Well-paced learning tool. Recommended
Comment: I came to Perl from Windows, C & Delphi and wanted a quick leg up the learning ladder. This book does just that, but with some caveats. I found it hard to get past the leaden and, to me, very un-funny foreword by Larry Wall. That apart, the book does the job as advertised. The 1st chapter (A Stroll Through Perl) is tough. It throws in a lot of code without explanation (e.g. use of =~ operator on p.11) and is very Unix-oriented. If you know C, you'll hack it, but this is heavy stuff for a non-programmer wishing to learn. Programming Perl (this book's big brother) is much tougher again. You would need to be an intermediate/advanced C & Unix hacker to go straight into Perl from there. However, if you come to use Perl regularly (and most Windows folk coming here will be using Perl for CGI stuff), you would be well advised to buy both. The remainder of the book consists of well-paced examples, culminating in a (for me) particularly useful primer on CGI. I have just completed my first fully home-grown large CGI script, and would never have got there without this book (and CGI.pm). So 4 stars for general content and concept, 1 star lost for dud humour and the whole "Stroll Through Perl" thing which I think increases, rather than flattens the learning curve. Don't be fooled by claims of Perl's natural or intuitive feel. It is only natural and intuitive for "Hello World" programmes. Beyond that, it is natural & intuitive only for those who have been practicing it for years. The rest of us use it like more forgiving version of C.
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