The best way to do it is find something you want to make, basically any web app. Register a domain name. Get some webspace. And GO Read some tutorial for the basic PHP syntax. Then, whenever you need to find a function or figure out how to do something, just google it with "php" in the search box. By the time you're done with your project, you will be near fluent
I'm also planning on learning PHP this year and from what I've seen so far it doesn't seem to be to hard. Can anyone recommend good beginner books?
It doesn't take long to learn it "echo 'Hello World';" and you have learned how to make your first script. I am still mastering it 5 years later!
never stop reading other guys code sometimes you think "yeah thats better than what i did at this problem so far", and sometimes you think "omg - whats this crap?! this guy who did that must been a totaly genius or noob, because i really dont see a good point doing this thing so..."