Python Books - Which one?

[Mats Wichmann]

On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 15:36:42 +0200, "Alex Martelli" <aleax at aleax.it>
wrote:

:"Paul Lim" <paullim at cyberway.com.sg> wrote in message
:news:3B8CF4D9.B9D0D4 at cyberway.com.sg...
:> Hi to all
:>
:> I am a newbie in Python programming. I hope the guru can adivse me.
:> I would like to acquire a book for my python programming. There are
:> generally three main books in my mind
:>
:> 1. Programming Python by O'Reilly
:> 2. The Quick Python Book
:
:Hmmm, you say 3 and list 2 -- that's like the Monty Python
:Spanish Inquisition sketch in reverse, right?

I'm more worried that it's the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.

:> Can anyone recommend to me which is better?
:> Or is there any better book out there?
:> I am looking for a book that is reader friendly but contain substantial
:> material that will last me quite some time.
:
:"Programming Python", 2nd edition, is excellent, and *HUGE* (I
:do mean huge!), so it WILL "last you quite some time".  On the
:other hand it's not oriented to the newbie: for that, O'Reilly
:proposes its "Learning Python" instead -- right now it's still,
:alas, about Python 1.5.2, but despite this it's an excellent
:learnign resource.

:As for "Quick", I personally like it -- doesn't go as deep
:as "Learning" into each subject it covers, but that lets it
:cover a wider compass, so the trade-off isn't absurd -- a
:matter of individual tastes.

LP seems to be on Mark's list to update soon (he's probably working on
it now).  I didn't like it very much when I first read it: thought
there were too many digressions, too much discussions of what /could/
go wrong, long before I ran into them.  Then I examined the way I was
teaching tech classes (not Python classes at the time), and realized I
did the same thing:  built up a body of pitfalls and dealt with them
pre-emptively.  Then someone told me not to do that in class and I
agree but in a book I'd do what Mark did (conceptually, that is; I'm
not claiming I could /execute/ the writing of a book of this quality).

So's there a point?  It's not right for everyone.  The Quick Python
approach suits my style better: I see what's going on, and I can dig
into corners later. If you've got a book store handy that carries
them, flip through several intros and see which style appeals to your
learning style.  If you don't know your learning style, it's worth
getting in touch with it, you'll need to work with it all through your
life...

Still meaning to pick up Wesley Chun's book but the budget's a bit
tight at the moment...

Programming Python is definitely the SECOND step, not the first book.




Mats Wichmann