AJAX and PHP
While I've read some really good Ajax books in the past few months, I've been continually disappointed by the shortage of PHP code. AJAX and PHP puts that disappointment to rest by not only putting PHP in the spotlight, but delivering a great Ajax book as well.
One of my first rules of a good technical book is to be short and to the point. AJAX and PHP definitely passes this rule with a concise read of around 250 pages. Because the book is so short, several introductory topics are not covered. So if you're new to PHP, JavaScript, XML, or MySQL, you'll need to start with another learning resource before reading this book. I personally like this approach as it allows both the authors and readers to devote their full attention to the main topics of PHP and Ajax.
My next rule is to make sure there are enough real world examples and projects for the reader to get the full picture of what they're actually learning. Here, almost each chapter focuses on building a new web application that utilizes the introduced features. By the end of the book, the reader will have built several web applications including an RSS Reader, Live Chat, and a Google-Suggest-style search utility.
My one complaint about this book is the formatting of the example code. Some examples take up to several pages to explain. In order for the reader to fully understand the example, there's no choice but to sit and comb through the code. Not that there's anything wrong with doing this -- we all have to learn somehow -- but at least make it easier on the reader's eyes. My suggestion would be to either implement syntax highlighting (grayscale and bolds work) or split the code into two columns: one for the code and one for comments.
As previously reviewed, there are several other Ajax books available. Some teach with Java and some provide remarkable coverage on architectural practices. What sets AJAX and PHP apart is twofold: PHP programmers can finally read a whole book that speaks in their primary language and while doing so, they can learn to create several down to earth Ajax-enabled web applications. I give this book a 9/10.