<p>I am completely new to programming - my interest lies in PHP &amp; MySql for building a dynamic web application for Military Band Administration purposes. i.e. General info and social networking for members + added functionality for the management team to communicate effectively.</p>

<p>OK so the question - as I learn more about PHP there are terms used that I do not understand that must come from a common basis of familiarity between all languages i.e. "stack overflow" appears to be an obvious one - "using too many recursive functions may smash the stack" is another. </p>

<p>So is there a book (a primer perhaps) about programming in general which allows someone like me to have a better understanding of what all this means?</p>

<p>Bear in mind I am 57 years old (young) and am really just starting out.</p>

<p>Steve </p>

To get a good understanding of the inner workings of computer hardware and software in a very readable (not too technical) manner, I can recommend
Code,The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software
by Charles Petzold.
The later chapters in particular talk about some of these more general programming concepts that are present in most programming languages.  The earlier chapters focus on more the history of the computer and software, so not as relevant to your question.
However it's not a large book so the reading it all should be interesting/useful anyway.
There are better books if you are looking for an introduction to PHP/MySQL programming specifically, however if you want more general knowledge about how software and hardware works, Code is great.