Free Downloads
Python Programming For The Absolute Beginner, 3rd Edition

If you are new to programming with Python and are looking for a solid introduction, this is the book for you. Developed by computer science instructors, books in the "for the absolute beginner" series teach the principles of programming through simple game creation. You will acquire the skills that you need for practical Python programming applications and will learn how these skills can be put to use in real-world scenarios. Throughout the chapters, you will find code samples that illustrate concepts presented. At the end of each chapter, you will find a complete game that demonstrates the key ideas in the chapter, a summary of the chapter, and a set of challenges that tests your newfound knowledge. By the time you finish this book, you'll be well versed in Python and be able to apply the basic programming principles you've learned to the next programming language you tackle.

Series: For the Absolute Beginner

Paperback: 455 pages

Publisher: Course Technology; 3rd edition (January 1, 2010)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1435455002

ISBN-13: 978-1435455009

Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 7.5 x 9.2 inches

Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (198 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #30,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #45 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Languages & Tools > Python #63 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Introductory & Beginning #78 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Web Programming

I am a beginner with respect to programming, and do not have a particularly technical background: I know almost no math though I know formal logic pretty well. I was interested in learning something about computer programming just for fun and have looked through a number of books about a number of languages. I even spent some time with C before I decided on Python. To an absolute beginner, it seemed a relatively intuitive language without some of the messy detail required by C, for example, about memory allocation. I chose this book simply because it looked fun and very clear. Each chapter focuses on tools needed to create games. I do not have any interest at all in playing computer games of any kind, but it is a relatively painless way to learn Python. I also found the exercises at the end of each chapter very good. They are hard enough but not too hard. They generally required a fair amount of time and effort, but I was able to finally figure out all of them. This is important since I am doing this on my own.The Cons: The book aims to be simple and brief, but sometimes it is too simple and brief. Yes I learned to get the computer to do this or that, but I did not fully get some of the concepts. In fact, I think the book moved on to fancy stuff like graphics before I got down all I needed of the basics such as file control. Perhaps someone who already knew something about programming would have had less trouble. For example, the material on writing to a file stored on the hard drive for future use was fine, as far as it went. But I realized, when trying to write a program of my own, that I did not understand a key point. If you have recorded some data to a file, and then want to revise that data, Python rewrites the entire file. Huh? What about my original data?

Python Programming by Michael Dawson is a very well written book intended to enthuse amateur programmers into the world of video game programming. By the time you finish chapter 12 of this book you will be ready to create your own mini games much similar to games you find on apps on phones and such. For those of you who want this immediate pleasure I have to say, this is the book for you and disregard my poor rating. But for those who really want to get down to the nitty-gritty basics of python and develop a solid understanding of it, this is not the book for you. So if you're a programmer who dreams of being a game developer one day, I say buy this book right away - it's fun. But if you're looking for a more formal approach to programming and aren't necessarily interested in the gaming aspect of Python Programming read on.Let me tell you why I think this book deserves only 3 stars. A bit of background, I started researching with particle physicists and astronomers at my school and programming python was much required so I decided I wanted a solid understanding of creating basic python scripts. What I ended up getting was a unorganized book that seemed to toss in information only for the soul purpose of creating a game at the end of each chapter. This was very bearable for the first 3-5 chapters but after that I couldn't get through a single chapter without having to scroll through multiple pages to find what a certain thing does because of it's lack of structure. It also lacks direction, it teaches you enough to get through the chapter but doesn't let you spread your wings and become creative with the script, by this I mean that it teaches you the very basics and moves on without getting a bit creative with the code.

Python: PYTHON CRASH COURSE - Beginner's Course To Learn The Basics Of Python Programming In 24 Hours!: (Python, Python Programming, Python for Dummies, Python for Beginners, python crash course) Python: Learn Python In A DAY! - The Ultimate Crash Course to Learning the Basics of Python In No Time (Python, Python Course, Python Development, Python Books, Python for Beginners) Programming #45: Python Programming Professional Made Easy & Android Programming In a Day! (Python Programming, Python Language, Python for beginners, ... Programming Languages, Android Programming) PYTHON: Python in 8 Hours, For Beginners, Learn Python Fast! A Smart Way to Learn Python, Plain & Simple, Learn Python Programming Language in Easy Steps, A Beginner's Guide, Start Coding Today! Python: Learn Python FAST - The Ultimate Crash Course to Learning the Basics of the Python Programming Language In No Time (Python, Python Programming, ... (Learn Coding Fast with Hands-On Project 7) Programming Raspberry Pi 3: Getting Started With Python (Programming Raspberry Pi 3, Raspberry Pi 3 User Guide, Python Programming, Raspberry Pi 3 with Python Programming) Python: Learn Web Scraping with Python In A DAY! - The Ultimate Crash Course to Learning the Basics of Web Scraping with Python In No Time (Web Scraping ... Python Books, Python for Beginners) Python Programming for the Absolute Beginner, 3rd Edition Programming: Computer Programming for Beginners: Learn the Basics of Java, SQL & C++ - 3. Edition (Coding, C Programming, Java Programming, SQL Programming, JavaScript, Python, PHP) Programming #8:C Programming Success in a Day & Android Programming In a Day! (C Programming, C++programming, C++ programming language, Android , Android Programming, Android Games) Programming #57: C++ Programming Professional Made Easy & Android Programming in a Day (C++ Programming, C++ Language, C++for beginners, C++, Programming ... Programming, Android, C, C Programming) SQL: Beginner's Guide for Coding SQL (database programming, computer programming, how to program, sql for dummies, java, mysql, The Oracle, python, PHP, ... (HTML, Programming, Coding, CSS Book 7) Python: A Beginner to Expert Guide to Learning the basics of Python Programming (Computer Science Series) Python: Practical Python Programming For Beginners and Experts (Beginner Guide) Hacking: Hacking Made Easy 1: Beginners: Python: Python Programming For Beginners, Computer Science, Computer Programming Swift and Python Programming Guide: Programming Language For Beginners: Learn in a Day! Box Set Collection (Swift, Python, JAVA, C++. PHP) Python: Learn Python in One Day and Learn It Well. Python for Beginners with Hands-on Project. (Learn Coding Fast with Hands-On Project Book 1) C Programming Absolute Beginner's Guide (3rd Edition) C Programming for the Absolute Beginner, 3rd VBScript: Programming Success in a Day: Beginner's Guide to Fast, Easy and Efficient Learning of VBScript Programming (VBScript, ADA, ASP.NET, C#, ADA ... ASP.NET Programming, Programming, C++, C)