Laravel: Up & Running book cover

Laravel

Up & Running

Matt Stauffer
4.43(185 Reviews)

Overview of Laravel

Laravel: Up and Running - Matt Stauffer's developer bible that revolutionized PHP development. Even after years with Laravel, experts like Andre Sardo discover new tricks. Why? It focuses on timeless principles rather than fleeting code examples, making complex web development surprisingly accessible.

Key Themes in Laravel

  • mvc architecture
  • developer experience
  • eloquent orm
  • dependency injection
  • php ecosystem

Quotes from Laravel

  • Laravel puts developer experience first.

  • Laravel allows for progressive discovery.

  • Eloquent is Laravel's ActiveRecord ORM.

  • This reads almost like natural language.

Characters in Laravel

  • Matt StaufferAuthor of the book and Laravel expert
  • Taylor OtwellCreator of the Laravel framework
  • Jeffrey WayCreator of Laracasts and community influencer
  • Adam WathanTech influencer within the Laravel ecosystem

About the Author

About the Author of Laravel

Matt Stauffer is the author of Laravel: Up & Running and a leading authority on the Laravel PHP framework. As co-founder and CEO of Tighten, a consultancy specializing in Laravel development, Stauffer combines hands-on technical expertise with a passion for educating developers through his books, podcasts, and conference talks.

His book serves as a definitive guide to Laravel’s ecosystem, covering core components like Eloquent ORM, Blade templating, and Artisan CLI while emphasizing modern PHP development practices. Stauffer’s insights stem from years of building enterprise applications and mentoring teams through Tighten’s client projects.

He extends his thought leadership through The Laravel Podcast (the framework’s official podcast) and The Business of Laravel Podcast, where he interviews industry leaders. The second edition of Laravel: Up & Running has become a staple resource for developers, praised for bridging foundational concepts with advanced implementation strategies.

Download Summary of Laravel

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"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn
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"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
platform
comments
12
likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
platform
comments
96
likes
4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
platform
comments
201
thumbsUp
16

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
platform
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star
star

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
platform
comments
37
likes
483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
platform
comments
12
likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
platform
comments
96
likes
4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
platform
comments
201
thumbsUp
16

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
platform
comments
37
likes
483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
platform
star
star
star
star
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