What is the easiest way to learn PHP on my own?

Download the best book ever Beginning PHP And Mysql From Novice To Professional 4th edition donwload link http://it-ebooks.info/go.php?id=409-1365683553-53474bb0c2ae0e79fa3bd0a7d9a64f82

You can learn any language online! PHP is great and an amazing language to learn.
I would say http://www.w3schools.com/ is a good source.
Check it out.

I suggest the PHP Cookbook (http://www.amazon.com/PHP-Cookbook-Adam-Trachtenberg/dp/0596101015/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255529140&sr=1-1)

Install WAMPServer (or an equivalent), and then start working through w3schools' tutorial.
When you've got difficult questions, come back here and ask.
It may also help you to sit down and read past PHP questions from the archives to see what problems other people faced, and how they solved them

This is a good site for starting : http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/php/php.html For french speakers, I also recommend http://www.siteduzero.com I also recommend you to refer to the PHP manual documentation at http://www.php.net for any further function, class or language documentation I also recommend you to work on a sample project that you define the requirements.
If you ever got stacked, then google your problem ;) Happy learning!

If you are interested in learning php start with http://devzone.zend.com/article/627 http://www.w3schools.com/php/default.asp and develope small projects through small projects You would start with something that simply stores information and retrieves the information from a mysql database.
This will allow you to get the hang of using variables, arrays, using functions etc.
Once you have a good grasp on this you may want to work on modifying strings and learning regular expressions....
At the end of the day you need to do things however you learn best.
And We all knowz Practice makes perfect.....
;)

I used this tutorial to write my first PHP application and was able to develop first commercial app to earn $100 within 24 hours of starting to learn PHP.
Did that 15 years ago...the tutorial still works...
http://www.webmonkey.com/2010/02/php_tutorial_for_beginners/

I recommend "PHP with MySQL Essential Training" as a start to learn CMS with simple php http://www.lynda.com/PHP-tutorials/php-with-mysql-essential-training/435-2.html then "Object-Oriented Programming with PHP" to learn OOP http://www.lynda.com/PHP-tutorials/Object-Oriented-Programming-PHP/107953-2.html

1) start learning the basics through http://www.w3schools.com/php/default.asp 2) try working on small project .
3)begin to learn any framework.( codeigniter preferred) best wishes

There's the official website php.net to get a general idea of what PHP is all about.
But to really get started, I think you need to set yourself a simple project and think how you would go about solving it.

If you have a basic knowledge of Computer Programming language and want to learn PHP asap and start working on it, do not get yourself lost into the huge library of world wide web or into the flooded information of PHP bibles available in www.
Straight ahead go for http://www.w3schools.com/php/default.asp for step by step PHP tutorial for the beginners.
Awesome summarized text to easily make you understand about a method/feature of PHP, providing small code snippets using the same with related output in each and every step making you an advanced programmer gradually.
When you feel confident on your PHP knowledge, try download and install XAMPP for Windows(http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-windows.html) or for Linux(http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-linux.html) and get some knowledge on the workaround from the READ ME or Basic Questions on your download page.
You may know where to put your php files(web contents) and how to access the same via URL request.
Now, you have configured a web server into your PC and gathered knowledge in PHP server side programming language.
You are now ready to start coding in PHP and check output of the same in your PC.
During this adventurous journey, follow http://php.net/ as bible of PHP.
You may download a suitable PHP manual(http://php.net/download-docs.php) for offline help.
Happy coding.