Deitel and Deitel Book...

[Alex Russell]

I'm glad they (apparently) got one right.

I was required to purchase their Java book for a class, and not only was
it poorly laid out, poorly executed, badly typeset, and cheaply made, it's
index was utterly useless. Their C++ book wasn't much better. A friend had
it laying about his place day and I spent some time looking through it,
and after comparing it to Lippman/Lajoie, it's clear that it makes better
tinder than a programming reference.

Stear clear of those two if you're thinking about picking them up on the
strength of their Python book.

-- 
Alex Russell
http://netWindows.org
http://alex.netWindows.org

On Thu, 28 Feb 2002 01:51:45 GMT
Ron Stephens <rdsteph at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Sorry but I can't wait to give a brief "preview review" of the new
> Deitel and Deitel book, "Python How to Program" (I also posted this at
> my website at http://www.awaretek.com/plf.html ).
> ...
> Well, let's see, I bought this 1292 page book from Amazon a week ago for
> $72. This is the most I have ever paid for a computer book. Heck, it may
> well be the most I have ever paid for *any* book ;-))).
> 
> I am leaving on a long business trip to Asia in two days, and I just
> can't wait until I get back to tell you how much I am enjoying this
> book. I have read the first 340 pages, which cover the core language; I
> intend to carefully read the remaining chapters, which cover various
> more advanced topics, as I fly around the world from 
> New York City to Amsterdam, to Singapore, to Taiwan, to Japan, to Korea,
> on to Shanghai, China, and finally back home to New York. I am looking
> forward to the book more than the trip ;-))))
> 
> This book is one of the most enjoyable I have ever read. The pedagogical
> approach that the authors use is superb; they have obviously learned
> their educational craft well; for me, it actually works. The quality of
> the paper is the finest in any Python book yet; the text is large and
> clear. The way actual code is highlighted and separated from the text is
> extremely 
> helpful. Everything is first class.
> 
> I actually sort of expected the book to be a second rate effort in the
> sense that the Deitels have written several best sellers about other
> languages, and I sort of expected them to half-heartedly do a me-too
> book by just applying the same old formula to a Python version.
> 
> But the book is fresh and clearly thought out. Since I have never read
> any other Deitel book, it is possible that those who have done so may
> have a different experience.
> 
> But I think even Deitel veterans will be pleased. More than anything
> else, the book reminds me of a great college textbook, and reading such
> a text is something I haven't done in way too many years. But this
> educational quality of the text brings it to a whole new level of
> sophistication, compared to most computer programming books.
> 
> The book includes, at the end of each chapter,  extensive questions and
> answers, review lists, and summaries. It actually feels like you are
> studying for credit in a college course. The end result is that, after
> carefully reading the chapters covering the core language, I feel like I
> have consolidated my Python knowledge considerably and that I am both
> ready to do some really serious coding (once I get back from Asia ;-)))
> and also to successfully attack the advanced chapters while I am on the
> planes.
> 
> In addition to excellent coverage of the core language, the book covers
> CGI, XML, Databases, XHTML (quite extensive) , Data Structures,
> Multimedia, OpenGL, Tkinter, CSS, Python Server, Networking, Threading,
> Regular Expressions, and Unicode. There are even excellent and extensive
> appendixes reviewing Octal, Hexadecimal, and Binary Number Systems;
> HTML; and Python version 2.2 Additions. Most of these topics are not
> just skimmed over but are covered in great detail. yet the book really
> flows well. The exercises and questions and answers are equal to the
> very best college text books  I have encountered. Even the summaries
> after each chapter are useful; I think I will be reviewing the chapter
> summaries on the plane and later again after a few weeks, in order to
> consolidate my learning even more. It seem like a good use of my time,
> because the summaries are well thought out and very helpful.
> 
> I am excited.
> 
> I will do a detailed and very thorough review of the whole book as soon
> as I return home from my trip. But even based on my reading of only the
> first 340 pages, this book is a winner and I think any 
> Pythonista who is willing to part with the (admittedly huge) sum of $72,
> will be richly rewarded. One could easily get engrossed in this fine
> book and wind up absorbing all 1292 pages in 10 days of blissful mind
> mongering. (Well, what the hell, its only a preview review and I can
> coin an asinine phrase like "mind mongering " if I want to ;-))))
> 
> ...
> By the way, I have studied the code of Hans Nowak's mygale.py well
> enough to be confident in making modifications and additions, and I am
> really looking forward to doing that as soon as I return  home. I intend
> to add more starting point sources for the article searches, to add the
> capability to search for any given topic, and also trying to fine tune
> the searching mechanisms. I even have some other ideas for the code, but
> I'll keep them quiet for now. Quite basic coding of course, the real
> work has already been done by Hans and I really appreciate his
> open-sourcing of this fine program.
> 
> I'm still searching for more tutorials and I'm up to 24 links now. I
> have a lot of other stuff I want to add when I get back in mid March. 
> 
> Ron Stephens
> < a href = "http://www.awaretek.com/plf.html">Python City</a>