Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

While taking an online course (MIT OCW) that uses Python and had no book, I picked up this book as a reference for python specific syntax issues. It is a really great book (I got through the whole thing rather quickly), and I am sure it will stay near my workstation. The authors cover a broad range of topics in a rather short book. There are a ton of online, free books on programming and Python, however, if you prefer to read a physical book: this is a great choice.

PRACTICAL PROGRAMMING: AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE USING PYTHON provides an invaluable guide to the basics of computer programming, allowing those with a bare-bones introduction to learn programming fundamentals, working with databases, downloading data, and more. From using functions to debugging systems and designing algorithms, this covers all the essentials and is a fine 'first timers' pick for any computer or general lending library.

I was looking for a book to increase my efficiency at programming and drive the concepts even further. Well this book did not really help with either of them. It's very basic (which I wouldn't mind if it actually got much more in depth later) and didn't fit my needs. If you are a brand new programmer, then you might be ok with it!

This book is a great way to get a feel for what computer science and programming are all about. Python is a great first language to learn because of its simple, english-like syntax. If you are new to either CS or programming and want to get started right away then buy this book. The only issue I could see with this book is it brushes over a lot of topics without a whole lot of depth but that should be expected with "introduction" in the title. If you enjoy this go buy a more advanced text once you've gotten comfortable with everything in this book.

A refreshing approach to learning Python. The examples are thought provoking, instructional with real world applicability.