"Programming Perl" has more coffee stains, dog-eared pages and scribbles than any other book in my collection. It is the kind of book that grows on you - it isn't a textbook or a reference manual, it is a unique peak at the minds of the Perl cogniscenti and their quest to build the ultimate programming language. The book is rich with witty humor that is actually funny. This book begs to be read not once, not twice, but continually - every part of the book seems to touch every other part and an abstract or tangible way. And reading the book over again will reveal new revelations about the language with each iteration.

"Programming Perl" by Wall, Christensen and Schwartz has my highest rating. I would highly recommend it to any serious programmer. Why, I would even recommend it to a manager!