mysql > start review;

mysql > Being a MySQL DBA, not a developer, I was mostly interested in the MySQL sections but given I have a general interest in scripting I did go through some of the PHP sections. To be honest they were quite advanced for my php knowledge and experience.

The good thing about the book is that even though it assumes you have the basic knowledge, it still provides an introductory background on most of the two (PHP and MySQL) topics. This is not a "PHP and MySQL for dummies" so don't expect to learn the very basics nor will you become an expert in either topic by just reading the book. Even if you read the book thoroughly, becoming an expert requires years of hard work and experience. Having said that, his book is a good guide to make it there.

If you are at least a basic developer, this book will help you increase your knowledge drastically and create much better apps. If you are already an experienced dev, the book will probably still give you a few insights on things you don't use all that often and help keep your edge. As regards DBAs, the book is worth a great deal in that quite a substantial amount of its content is MySQL, and the PHP chapters will help you understand the developer point of view.

Finally, its a great addition to my library for referencing and a good read.

mysql > Recommended;
mysql > commit;