Python Crash Course, 2nd Edition: A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction to Programming

So far I've only made it to "for loops" chapter 4; but I think this is a really good book. I had an online class from a local University and this book has covered somethings that the class did not. Not that what the book covered and the class didn't has been major; but is interesting that only having reached chapter 4 in the book that there are things the class left out. So far the biggest change between this book and the class I took is that the book does a much better job of explaining for loops. I even watched a video on Youtube to teach you Python with no experience and even that did not do as good a job of explaining why a for loop is written the way it is. Being that the class I took was online and was one of those classes done in half the time (warp speed) I didn't bother to ask why a for loop is written the way it is I just wrote it and followed the class examples (and yes I passed the class with an A but Python is not my first programming language). I feel way more confident in learning Python after the book did such a good job of explaining for loops that as I continue with the book I believe it will explain things better then the class I took or the video I watched. On a side note the class I took, as all college classes I have taken do, required a book and that book just didn't do a good job of explaining for loops (go figure). You might be wondering why am I using this book if I took an online class and the answer is it has been awhile since I took that class so I need a refresher. Also the college that I took that class from doesn't offer another a following Python class to take unless you sign up for a degree program (and I already have a degree I just want to become proficient in Python). I would recommend that if you want to learn Python to use in a job to take at least one class from a college or another way to get proof that you learned Python other than studying it on your own. Also another reason to learn from a book with no class attached to it is you can learn at your own pace. Now I could learn from the book that I bought for the college course since the class only went so far into the book; but I just didn't find that book to be very well written and full of information one doesn't really need to learn how to program with Python. I feel like a "college" course book has a lot of bloat while a book like this one is more straight forward. A book like this one survives and sells or not because it is good etc while a college course book is chosen by the teacher or school regardless of the reviews it got. So after this extremely long review I would recommend this book; but I think one does need something (a class, certificate etc) to show proof that one has at least some Python knowledge outside of ones own studying.

With the lockdown from the global pandemic, I have been forced to work from home like many other people. Since my usual job involved supporting hardware, this meant I was going to be stuck! Fortunately, my boss said that if I could spend my time learning skills useful to the lab, I could count the hours doing that. I asked whether learning Python would count. I told him that I would try to create scripts to monitor my hardware from home. He said that was acceptable.I have some programming experience, but it has been years since I coded, and then it was usually for relatively basic tasks in undergrad. I was looking for something that would not insult my intelligence, but that would still be interesting enough to keep me on task. So, after searching around I found this book. I saw the highly rated reviews. I skimmed the language that the author used in the sample. I read the table of contents and saw that the second part of the book consisted of creating games in order to solidify the skills learned.Yes! This sounded perfect.I have not been disappointed.The book walks the reader through setting up (checking if Python is on the computer already, downloading it if necessary, using an IDE and what that is, etc). And then it moves on to the usual basic programming. The writing is clear. I had no problems with the examples and found the practice problems to be well chosen. I also liked the way that the author encouraged good practices such as documentation and testing.I am currently in Part 2 of the book and have been working on the first project, a game called Alien Invasion which is basically a version of Space Invaders. I am definitely enjoying that. And I can see how some of the skills I learn from this could transfer over into monitoring my equipment. Reading files, taking user input, opening windows, drawing on the screen, making calculations, all of these things are necessary for the game, and for my own goals.I personally never had any problems, but I also noticed that the author's website includes cheat sheets, solutions, and errata, not to mention the files suggested for the projects.I am not sure if this book is for an absolute beginner. My experience is too far from that for me to be a good judge. But I can say that a person with basic programming knowledge and no prior knowledge of Python found it to be a great resource.

In embarking on my journey to learn Python, I initially struggled with various online video courses and even subscribed to the paid version of Codecademy, only to find myself constantly backtracking. It wasn't until recently that I dusted off a book that had been sitting on my shelf for a couple of years.This book turned out to be a hidden gem. The clarity and structure of the content are truly commendable. The author's approach to presenting Python concepts made it easy for me to build upon what I learned, creating a strong foundation that kept me motivated throughout the process. I feel the way the book is organized seemed to unlock a seamless progression in my understanding of Python that once I would get to the exercises in the end I was actually able to work through those myself or at least knew what I needed to google to clarify what I needed further elaboration with.Whether you're delving into Python for professional reasons or simply as a personal endeavor, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.This book has made the learning journey enjoyable. If you're looking for a reliable companion on your Python learning path, this book is an excellent choice to get started.

Big book but easy to read. My husband read it as he wanted to learn and it was a good read and helpful