Deitel and Deitel Book...

[DeepBleu]

Deitel and Deitel book on Python?  I personally would not touch it.  Give me
a book written by Lutz, Holden or Hammond any time.  But not from the
establishment of Deitel.  I bet you they do not even know how to program in
Python.  All their books are churned out by what resembles an
industry-complex with standard issue.
Long ago I discovered a mistake in their old C++ How to Program.  I sent
them an e-mail.  The answer still brings vivd memories of when you feel like
throwing up.  Arrogant bunch of oppurtunists who are not worth the price of
the paper their books are printed on.
You want books on Python:  Buy Beazley, Lundh, Holden, Hammond, Greyson
etc....
Leave Deitel alone!
DeepBleu

"Ron Stephens" <rdsteph at earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:3C7D8DCA.119D52EC at earthlink.net...
> 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>