Title: Higher Order Perl

Author: Mark Jason Dominus

Publisher: Morgan Kaufman

ISBN: 1-55860-701-3

Price: $59.95

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Do you find that your Perl programs bear a striking resemblance to code you've written in other languages? Have your Perl programming skills reached a plateau? Do you want to take your next big step in understanding Perl? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then Higher Order Perl (HOP) by Mark Jason Dominus should be the next book on your purchase list.

A significant number of Perl programmers have their origins in system administration. They began their careers writing code in C, awk and other languages. As a result, many continue to write their Perl programs as if they are writing the code in C. The goal of HOP is to teach experienced Perl programmers the features that separate Perl from other programming languages and how to put them to good use. As Dominus states, "Perl is much better at being Perl than it is at being a slow version of C."

HOP is written for experienced Perl programmers. Dominus dives right in with advanced techniques in the first chapter. So, you need to be capable of following code that makes use of all the standard Perl tools and data structures in order to grasp the ideas he is attempting to convey. If you are starting your journey with Perl, save HOP for a future trip. But, if you've been on the road for a while, this is just the book to liven things up.

This book is packed with valuable tips and techniques. Each topic is discussed in depth, with plenty of code examples and descriptions to keep the reader up to speed. That being said, be sure to carefully read and comprehend the examples. You will quickly become lost if you don't, because each section builds on previous topics. Dominus does his best to feed your brain slowly, but at some point it's up to you to follow along.

Dominus writes with the functional programmer in mind, but those who prefer other programming styles will find plenty of value in HOP. Most, if not all, of the functional programs and techniques can be adapted to object oriented and other styles with minor tweaks. The topics cover a wide range of advanced skills that will be appreciated by everyone. He successfully relates a great deal of knowledge to be used by all Perl programmers, no matter which styles they prefer.

Mark Jason Dominus has hit his mark with Higher Order Perl. It is a very informative book that is a must read for Perl programmers who want to take their skills to the next level. Be sure to check out the book's Web site for further information. The site provides full-text search, all the code examples, an up-to-date errata list, mailing lists and much more.