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The Quick Python Book, Second Edition 2nd Edition
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The Quick Python Book, Second Edition, is a clear, concise introduction to Python 3, aimed at programmers new to Python. This updated edition includes all the changes in Python 3, itself a significant shift from earlier versions of Python.
The book begins with basic but useful programs that teach the core features of syntax, control flow, and data structures. It then moves to larger applications involving code management, object-oriented programming, web development, and converting code from earlier versions of Python.
True to his audience of experienced developers, the author covers common programming language features concisely, while giving more detail to those features unique to Python.
Purchase of the print book comes with an offer of a free PDF, ePub, and Kindle eBook from Manning. Also available is all code from the book.
- ISBN-10193518220X
- ISBN-13978-1935182207
- Edition2nd
- PublisherManning Publications
- Publication dateJanuary 15, 2010
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions7.38 x 0.74 x 9.25 inches
- Print length400 pages
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The Quick Python Book, Second EditionVernon L. CederPaperback
From the Publisher
From the Preface
I’ve been coding in Python for a number of years, longer than any other language I’ve ever used. I use Python for system administration, for web applications, for database management, and sometimes just to help myself think clearly.
To be honest, I’m sometimes a little surprised that Python has worn so well. Based on my earlier experience, I would have expected that by now some other language would have come along that was faster, cooler, sexier, whatever. Indeed, other languages have come along, but none that helped me do what I needed to do quite as effectively as Python. In fact, the more I use Python and the more I understand it, the more I feel the quality of my programming improve and mature.
This is a second edition, and my mantra in updating has been, If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it'. Much of the content has been freshened for Python 3 but is largely as written in the first edition. Of course, the world of Python has changed since Python 1.5, so in several places I’ve had to make significant changes or add new material. On those occasions I’ve done my best to make the new material compatible with the clear and low-key style of the original.
For me, the aim of this book is to share the positive experiences I’ve gotten from coding in Python by introducing people to Python 3, the latest and, in my opinion, the best version of Python to date. May your journey be as satisfying as mine has been.
Who Should Read This Book
This book is intended for people who already have experience in one or more programming languages and want to learn the basics of Python 3 as quickly and directly as possible. Although some basic concepts are covered, there’s no attempt to teach basic programming skills in this book, and the basic concepts of flow control, OOP, file access, exception handling, and the like are assumed. This book may also be of use to users of earlier versions of Python who want a concise reference for Python 3.
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Naomi Ceder has been programming in various languages for over 20 years and has been a Linux system administrator since 2000. She started using Python for a variety of projects in 2001 and is an elected member of the Python Software Foundation. Naomi is the IT Director/Lead Developer for Zoro Tools, Inc of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, and is also an organizer of the Chicago Python Workshop and the CLC Linux Club. An advocate for open software and open content, Naomi gives talks to whoever will listen on Python and the benefits of teaching programming, particularly in schools.
Product details
- Publisher : Manning Publications; 2nd edition (January 15, 2010)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 400 pages
- ISBN-10 : 193518220X
- ISBN-13 : 978-1935182207
- Item Weight : 1.37 pounds
- Dimensions : 7.38 x 0.74 x 9.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,533,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,160 in Computer Programming Languages
- #1,513 in Python Programming
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

After getting a PhD in Classics, Naomi Ceder ended up in technology, and has been teaching programming for nearly 20 years. She has been involved with Python since 2001, administering servers and developing large database and web applications using Python in a variety of situations, from web applications and API's to data wrangling.
Naomi is an elected fellow of the Python Software Foundation and is a past chair of its board of directors. She speaks internationally on the Python community and inclusion in technology more generally.
Naomi also is available for on-site training in beginning through advanced levels of Python.
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Top reviews from the United States
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I purchased two Python books when I started with the language, this book and "Programming Python by Mark Lulz (O'Reilly)". The O'Reilly book is 5 times thicker and provides a much more comprehensive coverage of the language. But I have rarely found any use of the O'Reilly book. On the other hand I have often found myself referring to the the quick Python book. And when I need to look up things not in the quick book, I end up using online docs and reference anyway.
Overall this is a perfect book for a programmer looking to start with Python.
I'm taking a python class (python 3) at the local community college in Spring '15, so thought i'd just read up a bit before then to absorb some concepts before my "formal" training.
I'm currently on Ch. 7 - Dictionaries. I appreciate the concise writing style - just enough to point out concepts and get you started on deep-diving with the official py docs.
So far, so good. I'm really enjoying this one.
EDIT: A similar level book to look at is Think Python by Allen Downey. It's also a great book; slightly more wordy (in a helpful way IMO), but fairly concise as well. (free to download)
If you're interested in learning Python but want to quickly get up to speed not only on the language itself but its real essence, its elegant syntax and effective coding style, this is really the book for you. It has all the basic stuff without the "fluff". You don't have to put up with basic tutorials for non-programmers or super advanced topics for language experts, Just what you need to start effectively writing Python code that is up to the standards of the Python community.
This won't be your only Python book, but it definitely has to be your first!!!
On the last few chapters it'll scratch the surface of more advanced topics and effectively point you to a wealth of online resources, where you'd be able to learn more and then decide if you want to continue on your own or pick a more advanced book focused on a specific topic.
It's a great book not only to learn the syntax and features, but grasp the "Zen" of Python which makes it such an elegant and "sexy" language.
I'm not sure if an absolute beginner (i.e. no other programming exposure) would find the book as enjoyable as I did, and the more advanced users will probably be disappointed with lack of coverage of topics related to networking, parallel extensions (i.e., PyCUDA, etc.), scientific / engineering computing (SciPy, NumPy), but each of those topics can take up a whole tome and 1000+ page programming books are so tl;dr.
Of the topics that were covered, some are necessarily shallow (GUI development, parsing & regular expressions, data structures, etc.). But again, that's how K&R taught many generations C programming: Keep it simple enough to get started, and you can always learn how to overflow the stack later.
Top reviews from other countries
Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on October 6, 2017
Despite it being a Python 3.x book, it misses out on the important details of Python's runtime environment and packaging and distributing Python code the modern way (.whl files). But it excels in laying out and delivering the basic and intermediate Python language details. If you have programming experience, this book IS the FASTEST way to reach the intermediate stage of Python.
I have a lot of Python books. You will be hard pressed to find one book that covers everything. If you are serious about learning Python, get Learning Python by Lutz, this book, 2 other Python books from other publishers, and a pocket reference guide. It should come to under $150 and is a decent investment in your Python learning experience.
Python2系を選ぶかPython3系を選ぶかが悩ましい時期ではありますが、確実に世の中がPython3を向いており、この本はきっぱりとPython3を中心にしていますので、これからと言う方には最適だと思います。英語ではありますが、論理的にすっきりした章立てになっていますし、説明も丁寧ですから、きっと役に立と思います。あえて不足をいうなら、Decoratorsの記述が浅いので、このままでは理解できないと思います。もっともDecoratorsはこの本の範囲を越えるので、若干の紹介と考えればそれでも良いと思います。日本では残念ながらPythonの良書が少ないので、この本も一つのお勧めです。
The Quick Python Book seems at first glance to be a nice introduction to python, and maybe thats all its supposed to be.. But it fails to go into enough detail in many important points, specifically in relation to lambda expressions, generators, decorators etc etc.
Generators, for example, get just 2 brief paragraphs.. I like books that are succinct but this is nowhere near enough. When I first read the section (2 paragraphs) I completely misunderstood how python generators worked. It was only when I was watching a presentation from PyCon on youtube that I realised how generators actually function.. [...]
Reading this book will give you a vague understanding of some important things about python but it will not teach you enough python to complete a real project. You still need to read the real story in other books or online in order to really understand. So whats the point of this book?
Another gripe is that the index only lists 1 entry for most concepts.. Meaning this isnt much use as a reference either.
Having said this I do like this book enough to give it 3 stars. The writing is reasonably clear and sometimes brief is good to get a vague grasp of the concepts before filling in the details using other sources.
Not a 5 star book in my opinion.


