6 replies to this topic

[live504]

I want to get into learning python, but I'm confused on what book I should start out with. Right now I'm thinking of choosing Beginning Python: Using Python 2.6 and Python 3.1. I've tried looking on the internet for anyone else who had used this book, but I only found a a few reviews on the amazon website.
I've heard that Wrox books are pretty good.

Here's a link to the book.
Open Source: Beginning Python: Using Python 2.6 and Python 3.1 - Book Information and Code Download - Wrox

Here's what the table of content lists.
Part I: Dipping Your Toe into Python.
Chapter 1: Programming Basics and Strings.
Chapter 2: Numbers and Operators.
Chapter 3: Variables -- Names for Values.
Part II: Python Language and the Standard Library.
Chapter 4: Making Decisions.
Chapter 5: Functions.
Chapter 6: Classes and Objects.
Chapter 7: Organizing Programs.
Chapter 8: Files and Directories.
Chapter 9: Other Features of the Language.
Chapter 10: Building a Module.
Chapter 11: Text Processing.
Part III: Putting Python to Work.
Chapter 12: Testing.
Chapter 13: Writing a GUI with Python.
Chapter 14: Accessing Databases.
Chapter 15: Using Python for XML.
Chapter 16: Network Programming.
Chapter 17: Extension Programming with C.
Chapter 18: Numerical Programming.
Chapter 19: An Introduction to Django.
Chapter 20: Web Applications and Web Services.
Chapter 21: Integrating Java with Python.
Part IV: Appendices.
Appendix A: Answers to the Exercises.
Appendix B: Online Resources.
Appendix C: What’s New in Python 3.1.
Appendix D: Glossary.
Index.


This is what the table of content contains. I'm not really good at programming, but I think from what the table of contents lists and from reading the first few pages of the book it looked pretty interesting and good for someone who's brand new to programing. The other books I looked at were more oriented to making games in python, which I don't want to learn.

Thanks for any input.

Edited by Roger, 11 August 2010 - 03:52 PM.

[CatatonicMan]

Never used that one, but Dive into Python is a good free book to learn from. You might also consider the standard Python Tutorial as well.

Edited by Roger, 14 August 2010 - 09:46 PM.

[Sapman]

CatatonicMan said:

Never used that one, but Dive into Python is a good free book to learn from. You might also consider the standard Python Tutorial as well.

Dive into python is really for those who are already experienced with programming. Judging from the table of contents, Beginning Python: Using Python 2.6 and Python 3.1 seems like a pretty solid introductory book. :thumbup:

Edited by Roger, 14 August 2010 - 09:47 PM.

[manux]

There are also lots of tutorial of Python for non-programmers and beginners, I don't know your level and I don't know at what speed the wrox book goes, but from the table of contents it's probably a book for programmers, or at least amateurs, that would come from another language.

[spyder]

This book is a bit advanced, it gets into Python with other languages pretty quickly, I would suggest looking at some online tutorials.

[yamman13]

How to think like a computer scientist:learning with python, is the book I started with at uni. Its available free online.

[jivkoss]

http://www.greenteap...n/thinkCSpy.pdf
http://www.ibiblio.o...fpython_120.pdf

I recommend these.