If you like to learn in more of a tutorial mode then Sams books might be for you. I think they are reasonably good at presenting beginner to intermediate level information. When you get into the more advanced topics/syntax you will not find Sams as useful.

OReilly books cover a lot more detail and are a must have when you get into more advanced topics/syntax. Programming Perl(The Camel) is a great book but it can take a little while to get used to the layout. The Perl Cookbook is good at presenting a specific problem and giving you a usable solution.

It really comes down to your learning style and how far you plan on getting into Perl. I would recommend sitting down in a book store and taking a look through a couple of books and getting the one(s) you feel the most comfortable reading.

mr greywolf