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Bison

Member

From: Jacksonville, FL

Registered: 2006-04-12

Posts: 158

Website

Python book for beginner programmers

I'm sure this has been a common question here, and I apologize if I'm repeating recent questions.  My Girlfriend is having a second look at her career choice and is thinking about programming.  I think python would be gentle enough for her, so I'm trying to find a book that she could start out on.  I learned python with 'dive into python' which i thought was great, but I don't think that would be good for a beginner.

So...any suggestions?

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http://normalform.merseine.nu

skymt

Member

Registered: 2006-11-27

Posts: 443

Re: Python book for beginner programmers

I highly recommend How to Think Like a Computer Scientist. It uses Python, but focuses less on the details of the language and more on the right way to write code. And, of course, it requires no programming experience.

lang2

Member

Registered: 2006-02-10

Posts: 386

Re: Python book for beginner programmers

I learned with Dive into Python too and it *was* greate. Learning Python is not for beginner either. What about the online tutoiral? Maybe she can read that first and then DIP?

arooaroo

Member

From: London, UK

Registered: 2005-01-13

Posts: 1,268

Website

Re: Python book for beginner programmers

I thought Learning Python by Lutz and Ascher (O'Reilly) perfectly good.

I must admit, How to Think Like a Computer Scientist was my first Python textbook, but I'm not sure it's necessarily aimed at a programmer getting the most out of the Python language, per se.

Dive into Python is pretty nice. I do find myself dipping in to it.

I know all these books have been mentioned but I wanted to confirm that they are really worthy contenders for the task at hand.

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arooaroo | Jacman (Pacman GUI) | Getting to Grips with LaTeX | flickr

majikstreet

Member

Registered: 2006-07-31

Posts: 96

Re: Python book for beginner programmers

Dive into python was a bit too hard for me when learning python even though I already knew PHP..

So, I used Byte of Python (http://swaroopch.info/text/Byte_of_Python:Main_Page)  but I used it before the wiki transition so I don't know what it's really like now.. But it's probably still good

majikstreet I <3 python!

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Here in NZ we cant spell words with more than 5 letters. So color will have to do.

You must be very special then because "letters" has 7