I know php is a web programming language but what does it have to do with shell scripting. I might be wrong about php. Is there a CLI? How do I make one and how does it work? Please don't answer these if you have any books on this. Please give names of good beginner books for php shell scripting or whatever this really is. Anyways, thanks guys! 
Yes, there is a shell for PHP. In fact, there are a number of shells for PHP. Just do an internet search and you will find them.
SO any good books really?
The PHP Manual is online.
Also, if you install the php-cli package (on Fedora--probably similar on others), there's some very basic help from the command man php.