Practical Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science Using Python (Pragmatic Programmers) [Paperback]

Jennifer Campbell (Author), Paul Gries (Author), Jason Montojo (Author), Greg Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 4, 2009 | ISBN-10: 1934356271 | ISBN-13: 978-1934356272 | Edition: 1

Welcome to computer science in the 21st century. Did you ever wonder how computers represent DNA? How they can download a web page containing population data and analyze it to spot trends? Or how they can change the colors in a color photograph? If so, this book is for you. By the time you're done, you'll know how to do all of that and a lot more. And Python makes it easy and fun.

Computers are used in every part of science from ecology to particle physics. This introduction to computer science continually reinforces those ties by using real-world science problems as examples. Anyone who has taken a high school science class will be able to follow along as the book introduces the basics of programming, then goes on to show readers how to work with databases, download data from the web automatically, build graphical interfaces, and most importantly, how to think like a professional programmer.

Topics covered include:

Basic elements of programming from arithmetic to loops and if statements.

Using functions and modules to organize programs.

Using lists, sets, and dictionaries to organize data.

Designing algorithms systematically.

Debugging things when they go wrong.

Creating and querying databases.

Building graphical interfaces to make programs easier to use.

Object-oriented programming and programming patterns.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jennifer Campbell is a senior lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. Over the past 10 years, Jen's primary focus has been on teaching and curriculum design of introductory courses. Jen is involved in several projects exploring student experiences in introductory computer science courses and the factors that contribute to success, including the effectiveness of the inverted classroom.

Paul Gries has been teaching in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto for more than 15 years. During his time at UofT, Paul has won numerous teaching awards, including UofT's most prestigious teaching award and an Ontario-wide teaching award. Paul has also co-authored two textbooks, has been a leader in departmental curriculum design and renewal, and, with Jen, got to teach Python to tens of thousands of students in a MOOC.

Jason Montojo is a research officer at the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research at the University of Toronto, where he develops scientific software for the Cytoscape and GeneMANIA projects. He has a strong interest in teaching computer science and frequently mentors students for Google's Summer of Code program.

Greg Wilson holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Edinburgh, and has worked on high-performance scientific computing, data visualization, and computer security. He is the author of Data Crunching and Practical Parallel Programming (MIT Press, 1995), and is a contributing editor at Doctor Dobb's Journal, and an adjunct professor in Computer Science at the University of Toronto.

Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: Pragmatic Bookshelf; 1 edition (June 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934356271
• ISBN-13: 978-1934356272
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #76 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Languages & Tools > Python

More About the Author

Born and raised on Vancouver Island; studied engineering at Queen's University in Ontario, worked for a while, then went to Edinburgh for a Master's, some more work, and a PhD. Traveled while writing my first book on parallel programming; came to Toronto "for a couple of years" in 1994, and have never left. I've worked for big corporations, startups, and myself (prefer the small to the large), been a university professor (enjoyed the teaching more than the red tape), and am now project lead for Software Carpentry, a crash course on software development for scientists and engineers. You can find me online at http://third-bit.com (personal stuff) or http://software-carpentry.org (the course).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book for My Return to Programming December 15, 2009

By EW

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I had not programmed for 30 years and wanted to do a bit for a small project. After trying several Python books I found this one. I suspect that no one programming book will appeal to all, but this one was a great book to get me started again. Well-written. Good examples. Clear explanations.

36 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Superior Introduction to Computer Science & Data Structures Using Python May 14, 2009

By Ira Laefsky VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

As a result of superior pedagogy and a language that includes built in features like lists and dictionaries, and a standard library that comes with everything; this instructional book provides an introduction to Computer Science and Data Structures which excels using the modern programming language Python. This text is much more than a learn to program in "XXX" book, it gives a firm foundation for all subsequent courses in Computer Science and practical examples of how Data Structures are employed in real world problems involving graphics and databases. It also gives the necessary demonstrations of algorithms for Searching and Sorting, and a modern introduction to Object-Oriented programming.

In short, this volume provides an excellent foundation text in Computer Science, while incorporating instruction in the Python Language and giving practical examples of how to employ the Algorithms and Data Structures in real-world situations. It will give the student a strong basis for all further study in Computer Science and Programming.

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is the perfect foundation on which to build your Python programming skills February 8, 2010

By Sara

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I entered a graduate program in computational linguistics with a linguistics background with no computer science or programming experience. All of my specialization courses use Python and, unfortunately, my university doesn't offer Python courses. Discovering that I wasn't all that wonderful at self-teaching myself to program, I resolved to take an introductory Java programming course offered by my university's computer science department. The course served as an excellent foundation and made this text, which I think is already very clear and accessible, that much easier to follow. My opinion is that this book would make an excellent text for an introductory course in Python programming or a wonderful resource to someone who knows a bit about programming but would like to understand Python. I had tried other Python books in the past, but found myself either lost or bored. The authors of this book know how to hold their audience's attention.