Don't read a coding book . . . you need to work through the examples and code along with the book.
I recommend starting with (this is the same advice I usually give everyone just getting their feet wet):
Head First HTML and CSS
Work along with it using Sublime Text (editor) and MAMP or WAMP (OSX or Windows, I recommend using a mac if possible).
After working through part of that book. Buy a domain and a hostgator account learn about DNS, point your A record to your hostgator account and start FTP'ing (Filezilla client) up a website to your hosting, view on your domain.
Once you complete that book, learn some javascript/jQuery, there are head first books for those too, but I think you can learn this from the web.
teamtreehouse.com is a great place to learn.
Next back to Head First PHP and MySQL. Work through that book, working locally and on your hosting account.
I would stay away from odesk now upwork and try find local clients first or connect with friends/clients online (craigslist and twitter are better than upwork), better pay, less headaches.
Once you have some PHP and MySQL knowledge next I'd recommend Wordpress. There is a head first book for that too.
Install wordpress on MAMP/WAMP locally and on your hosting account. Install some free themes and free plugins. Modify a theme, make some posts.
Wordpress is a popular ecosystem and there is lots of work there.
Leveling up beyond the items above is creating web applications.
You can create a simple one from scratch using PHP and MySQL this is a good way to learn the inner workings of an app from scratch. Once you explore that for an app or two you can move on to a framework.
For frameworks I would go with Laravel (PHP) and/or Rails (Ruby) those are the most popular in each language.
Comments
Don't read a coding book . . . you need to work through the examples and code along with the book.
I recommend starting with (this is the same advice I usually give everyone just getting their feet wet):
Head First HTML and CSS
Work along with it using Sublime Text (editor) and MAMP or WAMP (OSX or Windows, I recommend using a mac if possible).
After working through part of that book. Buy a domain and a hostgator account learn about DNS, point your A record to your hostgator account and start FTP'ing (Filezilla client) up a website to your hosting, view on your domain.
Once you complete that book, learn some javascript/jQuery, there are head first books for those too, but I think you can learn this from the web.
teamtreehouse.com is a great place to learn.
Next back to Head First PHP and MySQL. Work through that book, working locally and on your hosting account.
I would stay away from odesk now upwork and try find local clients first or connect with friends/clients online (craigslist and twitter are better than upwork), better pay, less headaches.
Once you have some PHP and MySQL knowledge next I'd recommend Wordpress. There is a head first book for that too.
Install wordpress on MAMP/WAMP locally and on your hosting account. Install some free themes and free plugins. Modify a theme, make some posts.
Wordpress is a popular ecosystem and there is lots of work there.
Leveling up beyond the items above is creating web applications.
You can create a simple one from scratch using PHP and MySQL this is a good way to learn the inner workings of an app from scratch. Once you explore that for an app or two you can move on to a framework.
For frameworks I would go with Laravel (PHP) and/or Rails (Ruby) those are the most popular in each language.
LaraCasts.com is a great resource.
Good luck.