Perl 5 By Example should be read by anyone seeking to learn Perl. If you don't
know any other programming languages, Chapters 2 through 7 will give you a
solid introduction to the basics. If you already know another language, then skip
Chapters 2 through 7 to see how Perl differs from other languages and start with
Chapter 8, "References."
This book follows a simple format. Each chapter contains a single topic-usually.
First, you read about the topic and then you see examples that let you work directly
with Perl to understand how the concepts can be applied to a program. At the end
of each chapter is a summary, followed by review questions and exercises.
This approach is designed to serve a broad range of readers from novice to
advanced. If you've never programmed before, the learn-by-doing approach will
help you move quickly and easily though this book. If you have programming
experience, you'll find plenty of material to refine and enhance what you already
know, and to give you a solid understanding of how Perl works.