need help just begining

[sue]

Goody!  Another Python book!  I'll try to get one Saturday.
I think Learning Python is the best intro to a modern
programming language that I've seen to date.  I'll be
interested to see how 24 Hours compares.

I have recommended Learning Python to four people, including
a manager and a teenager, neither of whom had much
programming experience.  Three of the four now like and use
python.  (The fourth thinks TCL is great.  Oh well.)

When I showed them Perl, TCL, C, C++, Java, they said
"What's all this weird stuff?  Semi-colons, braces, types? 
I have to type pages of code to duplicate ten lines of
Python!"

You need to start them off right.  Guido's educational
project is dead on.  Try explaining why C++ implicit type
conversions are evil to a new programmer who thinks they're
"neat".

Sue.