Guide to Programming with Python (Book & CD Rom) [Paperback]

Michael Dawson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1423901126 | ISBN-13: 978-1423901129 | Publication Date: March 13, 2007 | Edition: 1

Python Programming is unique and fun because of its approach: the reader learns to program through writing game programs. While it's enjoyable and engaging, the book covers plenty of fundamental computer science concepts and vocabulary. Topics include variables, memory, branching, loops, data structures, functions, file handling, exceptions, object-oriented programming, GUI programming, multimedia programming, and program planning. Even with all the power it offers to industry, Python is perfect for beginners. It has clear, simple syntax and is robust yet concise. Python Programming is the most fun way to learn the basics of programming using an easy-to-learn but powerful industry-standard programming language.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Course Technology; 1 edition (March 13, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423901126
• ISBN-13: 978-1423901129
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,334 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Languages & Tools > Python

More About the Author

Michael Dawson has worked as both a programmer and a computer game designer and producer. In addition to real world game industry experience, Mike earned his bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of Southern California. Currently, he teaches game programming in the Game Production Department of the Los Angeles Film School. Mike has also taught game programming to students through UCLA Extension and The Digital Media Academy at Stanford. He's the author of three other books: Beginning C++ through Game Programming, Guide to Programming with Python, and C++

Projects: Programming with Text-Based Games. You can visit his website at www.programgames.com to learn more or to get support for any of his books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Careful buying this., May 17, 2008

By 

M. Hill "Professional Mushroom" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guide to Programming with Python (Book & CD Rom) (Paperback)

While I won't deny this is the best book out there to teach someone Python, it is pretty much Word for Word the same book as Python for the Absolute Beginner (which is by the same author). This version is packaged as an academic book, and costs 4 times as much!
I love the author for this book, but the publisher should be shot.
Go pick up the absolute beginner version and saves yourself $60.

If it hadn't been the same book, I would happily given it 5 stars.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Last two important chapters of otherwise decent book are unusable, October 20, 2008

By 

Alison Chaiken "http://www.exercisefortheread... (Mountain View, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Guide to Programming with Python (Book & CD Rom) (Paperback)

Michael Dawson's text was required for a course I took. Overall the book was useful, as the explanations are clear and there are plenty of code examples and problems that exercise the concepts. However, the book will annoy those have previous programming experience, as it assumes no knowledge of any other language and explains what for-next, while, et cetera are. I find the elementary approach surprising given that the author has another text on Python that appears more geared towards beginners.

What really annoys me, though, is that Chapters 11 and 12 about games are essentially unusable. The code examples in Chapters 11 and 12 are based on an author-modified version of the LiveWires package that is included with the book. That's fine except that the mods are based on an obsolete version of LiveWires, and there appears to be no download site with a newer version of the author's package. That means that in order to learn useful information from Chapters 11 and 12, the student must commit indefinitely to an obsolete version of LiveWires! The lack of a download site is unacceptable and infuriating in this day and age. Chapters 11 and 12 might as well not be included with the book, which is ridiculous as so much of Python development is game-related.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new kind of approach to teaching programming, April 9, 2007

By 

Tinkerer (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guide to Programming with Python (Book & CD Rom) (Paperback)

Most programming books seem pretty drab, in that they teach by laying out the fundamentals, and rely on the reader to see how everything fits together. This book is nice because it takes the approach of starting with a practical need (in this case, game programming), and showing how to evolve toward an understanding of a programming language (in this case, Python) through the development of small games. Time will tell how well this method works in the big scheme of things, but I found it to be a nice alternative introduction to programming. It also has review questions and projects and the end of the chapters to further enhance the teaching value of the book. All in all, a decent little book.