Ok so here are the four items:
The first two can be purchased as paperbacks or ebooks. You can also download FREE pdfs from the FAA website. These contain all the information you will need to pass your knowledge test and of course do a great job at summarizing the FAR/AIM sections relevant to the private pilot certificate.
The third item is a $249 course, which I recommend buying but you can also do without them if you just get #1, #2, and #4. The course contains video lectures and are and are also great to listen to while driving etc. At the end of the course they give you a knowledge test endorsement, which is required, to take the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test. You can also get the endorsement from an instructor but of course they would have to verify that you know all the knowledge portions. That is the main reason I think the $249 purchase is worth it. There are a bunch of other online courses as well that do the same but I have experience with the Sporty’s only so I can only speak to this one. In general, I recommend it.
Finally #4 is free and you can get started on that anytime. You can essentially use that in parallel to reading the PHAK and the AFH or while you do #3. It has flash cards, etc. to help you prepare but the main value comes from taking the mock test. I essentially took those tests a bunch of times in quick succession right before my actual test and that was very helpful.