Beginning Python: From Novice to Professional

If you already know a programming language and want to learn Python, this is your best bet. I used to recommend "Learning Python", but this is better. Of course, the online tutorial is the best place to start, but eventually you'll want to learn the juicy parts of Python, especially generators and co-routines (the "yield" statement). This book does a very good job of explaining those concepts. The downside of this book is that it goes too far. You really need only half the book. Then you can go to the web to learn specialized libraries. It's still worth the price though. If you don't consider yourself a good programmer, or if you only know a simple language like Visual Basic, then "Python for Dummies" is a very easy read. If you consider yourself an excellent programmer and want a paper tutorial, consider "Python Essential Reference", which includes a very terse introduction.

A new title in a continuing "From Novice to Professional" series, this is another top quality product. For the person completely new to Python it starts from the very beginning with installation and basic variable constructs. If you are an intermediate level programmer then you will still find a lot of very well explained concepts with illustrations, examples, sidebars, and other helpful information. Just as promised in the title you can move all the way from complete novice to a professional level competence if you work through the book systematically. You won't necessarily be an expert but you will be competent and that is about all you can ask for from a text of this type. You will learn how to do things from the very basics of variables and flow control through graphical interfaces, database interfaces, network programming, and packaging the programs you write. The final ten chapters are example projects where you are walked through the project from beginning to end. During the process you use all of the stuff you learned and end up with a useful product. Appendix B is a very nice quick reference to Python commands, operators, functions, methods, statements, and just about everything else you might want need to look up in a pinch. Beginning Python: From Novice to Professional is highly recommended if you are new to Python, are an intermediate level user, or have never really had a course in Python but have learned it as needed for a particular project.

Quickest way to get up to speed doing serious programs in Python. I was just finishing Practical Python when this book appeared. This new edition brings everything up to date (Python 2.4), offers more depth, and a great improvement to an already outstanding book. The first 10 chapters covers most of the language with to the point, interesting examples, The mid part of the book covers various libraries including how to build your own libraries in Python or C. The last 10 chapters cover 10 web projects, such as, building up an HTML page, a chat room client and server, etc. The other two APRESS Python books are outstanding too and Beginning Python makes a great introduction (although I read Dive into Python and Python Network Programming first).

I think Magnus Lie Hetland wrote a definitive text on Python. There are many good books on Python but this one stands out. While other texts teach you HOW to do things, Hetland teaches you WHY things are being done this way and exposes the underlying logic of the language. You can learn Python from many sources, including simply the documentation that comes with the distribution. This book, however, will help you "dig it" and enjoy it the way it was intended. On the shortcomings side... I found one error in a sample program (bottom of p. 90).