Best book for WordPress 3.5 +
927650
If I had to recommend a single book on WordPress it would be this one. It has something for every level of users from beginners to advanced ones.

This book covers from the simple WordPress install process, both online and locally, to showing how "the loop" works to understand the process WordPress follows to put the info on your pages to using custom post types to add info to your posts or custom taxonomies and metadata to sort and classify them.

When you get to this point, after all the theory comes the fun: On the second part of the book you start creating step by step your own plugins and themes but following the good practices introduced previously and on a solid base set on the first part of the book. After that, other topics are covered like multisite installs, content aggregation, social media, user experience (UX), statistics, cache management, security, spam, WordPress as a CMS (content management system) and so on.

If you are a beginner, take the time to go through the first part. It will give you a solid ground for the more advanced topics. Later on the book you'll apply them all.

The book has around 400 pages and every one of them is worth the time you spend reading it.

If you like WordPress, you'll enjoy this book.
1440174
Using Wordpress is a good guide to one of the better blog/cms packages available.

I'm most impressed by the tie between the printed book and the on-line book available via Safari. The book on it's own is o.k., not terrible but not great either. But when it's coupled with the materials available in Safari it really shines. And this is taking into account that Que is misfiring just a touch on their implementation.

Using Wordpress covers it all. It's not just a guide to the Wordpress interface itself. The book will take the reader through all the steps necessary to getting a Wordpress site up and running from choosing a domain name, to tools for getting files moved to a host. That's nice, as to be honest, someone who needs a Wordpress book probably needs help with that too.

The videos are a fantastic complement to the text. In fact, the printed book itself has screen shots but they are rather difficult to read. Watching the screen casts and listening to the explanations removes that as an issue. And the text of the book is clear, it's just that the screen shot illustrations are too small or offer too little contrast.

Setting things up in Safari was not difficult, though I already had an account. One thing that is a bit of a hassle is I do not pay for a Safari subscription. So even now, when I go to the site it tells me I need to reactivate my account. Of course clicking on the rather large button to do so takes me to a page that lists my subscription options. This threw me for a minute. I just ignore it and go to my book. I wonder how many will think they need to pay to access their book.

I don't consider this a deal breaker by any means, it's just confusing.

One other issue is that the multimedia components are presented in-line with the text. I can't find anywhere they are broken out in the contents or index, in the print or electronic version. This is really what had me rate the book a 4 rather than a 5. I should be able to go to my electronic version and see a list of all the videos, audio clips, and jump right to them. Instead, I've found the quickest way is to flip through the print book looking for the icons that indicate a video. Then I go to that chapter in the e-book and scroll to it. It could be a lot better.

That said I love this very nice tying together of various technologies. And someone who does not have a high degree of familiarity with building web sites or using web technologies will have everything they need right here in one package. This book will have them up and running with their own site in no time. I know I'll be referring others to it when I don't have time to help them myself.
4683853
One of my father's favorite quotations was "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention."

The now famous quote from Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626), so famous keyboard "Some books are..." at the Google prompt to find the quote as the first hit. Bacon's 17th century prescience is: Multi-tasking will be a requirement to read some books in the future.

You cannot read Jessica Neuman Beck and Matt Beck's WordPress Second Edition without at least one browser tab open. The problem with any introductory book, there are pages of WordPress usuer manuals on Amazon's website (many introductory), is how basic it should be without losing readers who are already familiar with WordPress but do not know how to, for example, FTP an hour-long audio tape to the web site, which the Becks assume I know how to do.

WordPress is the answer to 20th Century New Yorker critic A.J. Liebling's remark: "Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one." Now, thanks to Word Press I own one blogging on the problems of housing disabled and elderly low-income individuals. To own one's press one must have knowledge of available tools. Fortunately, Kathy Forer, a New York-area-based computer professional (with excellent design experience), said, "Joel, you need WordPress."

I had never heard of it. Last month, to understand my site better, I had the good fortune to have this book recommended by Penn State's Engineering Library, headed by the ever-helpful Thomas Conkling. Not everyone has excellent resources available. WordPresss Second Edition is certainly a good start.
3297817
There is at least one major plugin out there that could benefit from this book. The steps that the author walks you through make it simple for anyone with the least amount of programming skills to Ajax-enable their WordPress theme or plugin. Most WordPress books are too light or unfocused to be worth the investment. This is one of two books every WordPress developer should have on their shelf.
195000
Corel's WordPerfect Office is the best.  Sorry, Office and Office 365.  You just don't cut it, and never have.  WP is intuitive and easy to work with.  This upgrade met with every expectation and installed perfectly.
302951
This book is very well written, and explains in plain language What you need to know to  get started and going with WordPress. The Missing Manual is also a good manual for people Who know some basics, and want to learn more.
1906405
First off, I worry a bit that Amazon displays 3rd Edition reviews on the page for the unreleased (as of this writing) 4th Edition. The 3rd Edition was a major revision from the 2nd, and Danny Goodman (at his web site, dannyg dot com) reports that the 4th will be a "massive overhaul." Make sure you're reading reviews for the edition you're thinking of buying. It's been three years since JSB3, and like web technology, Danny Goodman does not sit still.
With that out of the way: In short, I always recommend Danny Goodman's JavaScript Bible, Third Edition, to everyone with a serious interest in JavaScript. It is the only book I recommend. And, with rare exception, it is the only book I use.
JSB3 is the single most valuable book on my programming shelf. I've been developing web applications for years with extremely complex JavaScript code, and I consistently turn to Danny for reference. Perhaps there are better introductory tutorials, but for straight-on encyclopedic data on the JavaScript language, I find JSB3 to be the fastest and clearest information resource. (It's labeled "100% Comprehensive" for a reason.) The book's reference section is unusually well formatted for quick skimming, and Danny's writing highlights many a vital detail.
I have, let's see here, five other JavaScript books, mostly gathering dust. Other than (the dust-free) JSB3, the only one I take down from the shelf is O'Reilly's Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference -- written by, yes, Danny Goodman. Mainly I use that one for DHTML issues. It does have a full JavaScript reference, but it's not half as easily skimmed as JSB3 and it's printed in O'Reilly's standard eyestraining ITC Garamond Light font. JSB3 is easy on the eyes.
I see many negative reviews here for this book, but to me it's indispensable. Perhaps it's a matter of taste? It's not completely free of errors (I've yet to find a JavaScript book that is), but Danny keeps a list of errata and updates at dannyg dot com, where you can also find the JSB4 Quick Reference and Compatibility Guide (formerly called the Object Roadmap) for PDF download.
Speaking of compatibility, JSB3 has the best cross-browser compatibility notation I've seen, which was an immeasurable help to me and my colleagues in the past couple of years. I look forward to seeing current information again -- fleeting though it may be. Even with newer browser versions, JSB3 is one of the rare programming books that have stood the test of time.
3608004
I just don't understand the reviewers who gave this book only one or two stars.  I would give it a hundred stars if possible.  I've looked at a lot of Wordpress books and in my opinion this is the one to start out with.  It covers Wordpress.com and Wordpress.org (the book explains the difference and it's a big one).  It starts out with the basics of getting your site up and running and then moves on to the more advanced topics like plug-ins, widgets, pages, posts, etc. (don't let any of that terminology scare you). Lisa also explains how to choose your domain name and set up a hosting account.

This past weekend I was able to attend WordCamp Atlanta and meet Lisa as well as Matt Mullenweg (the co-founder of Wordpress and a genuinely nice guy). I found out that Lisa is a great presenter as well as a great writer.

My recommendation to any beginner looking to learn about Wordpress is 1.)buy this book, 2.)find a Wordpress meetup in your area via meetup.com, and 3.) find the nearest WordCamp and attend (inexpensive and worth it).

If you follow this advice, I guarantee you that before long, you will be hooked on Wordpress and have a killer looking website or two!
4015123
If you want to learn more about wordpress I think this is a great guide. I've been using wordpress for a while, but it is now obvious to me that I didn't utilize it to its full potential.
4662584
I have a Youtube channel and Ive been wanting to put up a site for the makeup product reviews that I do. A friend advised me check out WordPress. I have zero background in website building and I think WordPress is a good platform for a beginner like me. Admittedly, everything was confusing for me at first but after a few hours of tweaking and clicking, I was able to publish a proper blog. This guide helped me master the basics. I don't claim to be a WordPress expert now, but Im really satisfied with the know-how I obtained from this book! Would recommend!
1914165
A very comprehensive and insightful book that helps allow anyone to get going.  There is a ton of content.  The book is organized such that the reader can focus on specific topics according to individual needs.  I have a companion book that I use, Professional Wordpress.  The two go well together.
4131367
I just had a chance to check out this book today.  The language section was very complete and entirely appropriate for a book that is called the "PHP Bible."  Also, they offer a basic guide to SQL which is cool, and focus on the mySQL platform which is the most common and documented platform for using PHP.  I thought it was a nice package!  Beginners should check out Php Fast & Easy Web Development by Julie Meloni and combine it with the language reference in "PHP Bible" and the O'Reilly pocket guide too.  Then you're all set for about $55.00.
2494640
I don't write reviews unless I feel very strongly about the book. This is indeed the first time I wrote in amazon.com.
I feel this is the one book you must have for web application development using PHP and mySQL, although frankly there are many good ones around too. I have seen many books and I strongly recommend this.
It has a comprehensive coverage. Many reviews have mentioned it so I am not going to repeat. I find that I learned something not covered in other books - about building robust, secured, and efficient codes. I have not seen people write that kind of codes for PHP. Marc has been most generous in shraring these with the readers. The 3 last projects were superb. It is well suited for the techie.
2698890
Just finished, "Create Your Website In Simple Steps - For Ages 9 To 99!". it is not a those read cover to cover books. This is a hands on manual for creating a full blown, effective website. The author goes into a great deal of detail on every step of the process based on the WordPress platform. Using WordPress and this book there is no reason anyone can't make a fully functional site in a few hours. That is assuming you know nothing about the process, the process will be easier if you had some background knowledge. This book made the transition for Magento to WordPress very easy. Get the book and follow the process and be online with your very own website today!
3931492
As far as covering everything involved with Dynamic HTML, I definitely think this is the best book available. Many reviewers have already said that and if I listed everything good about it I'd just be repeating. So instead I'm going to explain why I gave it 4 stars rather than 5. The first 160 pages or so explain how everything ties together under Dynamic HTML and this was the content I was really looking for when I bought this book. But the next 800 pages or so are just individual references of HTML, CSS, DOM (document object mdoel), and JavaScript. I was a little let down as I already had thorough references on all of those topics except DOM which is the least useful of the four. I actually reccomend seperate books on each topic because they will go more in-depth on the topic and include neat extras that this book doesn't have. But if you want/need a comprehensive reference of the big 3 (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) all in one place, this is definitely your best choice. The question isn't whether or not this is a good book because it certainly is. The question is whether or not this book is worth spending $36. That all depends on personal preference and your existing library.
3385294
I wanted to start a personal blog using wordpress and chose to read this book hoping to save myself from wandering around. I made the right choice. You can find step-by-step and detailed instructions on how to install wordpress, choose a subject, a theme, how to add, drag or delete a post, an image or a video onto your wordpress. There is also section which shows you how to turn on or off the comments or how to create a custom menu. Included screen captures help a lot and make it much easier and faster to follow. This book can surely save you a lot of time in getting your own wordpress started.
4790068
I love WordPress. It is a time savvy and Google Loves WordPress site .I always want to know the in-depth knowlege, but really wasted money, But after reading this book I can say -"yes" I know WordPress.

This book has A-Z information and covered many topics but the following features really delighted to me.

1.where to find the best themes freely and how to install them.

2. So many plug-in for SEO purpose.

3. How to use Social media.

4. How to disable a page from showing in the sidebar pages widget--Not Even Expert know that.

5. Easy way to put Bold and Italic in a sidebar Text widget.

6. The easy way to use sites favicon.

7. Gravatar.

8. Describes top plug-in and there installing methods.

9 How to maintenance your site.

10 comment redirect and end post comment.

11. Using social media-Like Pinterest, twitter,  facebook and feedburner ( Great plug-in).

12. How to secure your wordpress site.

13. Mobile wordpress- Great information.

14. The best apps for blogging- First times i got such a knowledge.

15 If you want to post on your blog really cool to get posted automatically Social Media.

16. How to make another person an administrator-- i am seaching this information for a long while but now this book describe how you make Editor, Author, Contributor and Subscriber with different user name and password.

When i  uses the wordpress first time , I bought many books
and be a member of different site (for only knowing about wordpress) but nobody gives me such A-Z knowledge.

Finally I would Say this is a great book for Beginners as well as for Expert with a very low price ( I wasted more than $1000 to only know about WordPress).

 This books make you an Expert to creating websites very easily.