which python book

**wizzkid** · January 19th, 2006

I am planning to buy a python book and choosing between these two...

Beginning Python (Wrox) or Python 2.1 Bible

Beginning Phython (wrox) authors: Peter Norton, Alex Samuel, David Aitel, Eric Foster-Johnson, Leonard Richardson, Jason Diamond, Aleatha Parker, Michael Roberts

Python 2.1 Bible authors: Dave Brueck and Stephen Tanner

or I get both? does the content the same? or which 1 should i get?

PS - I am very new to python. I want to learn this.

Thanks

**briancurtin** · January 19th, 2006

i would steer away from the Python 2.1 Bible, as python 2.4 is the current version, and probably what you have on your box right now

thats my only input on the thread. i have the mark lutz python book from o'reilly, and alan gauld's "learn to program using python"**

**useless info for the day: my dad was a technical reviewer for that book, and he talked the publisher into letting me do a review also and i got $200 for writing a paper about it haha

**Van_Gogh** · January 19th, 2006

Personally, I've never bought a Python book, I read tutorials on the net, so I can't comment on those two book. However, my intuition is that should stay away from the "Bible" book. Computer books with the word "Bible" tend to discuss every aspect of its subject and that'll quickly make you feel overwhelmed very quickly because it's too much to absorb as a beginner. I'd steer away from it untill you get more experience.

If you're interested in on-line material, a good Python book for absolute beginners is A Byte of Python. It also is quite short, something that makes you feel you're improving quickly(important to not lose interest) and filled with good example code.

**DirtDawg** · January 19th, 2006

Listen,
I know this wasn't one of your options, but I highly recommend O'Rielly's
Learning Python. I read several tutorials and books but didn't really "get" many concepts until I found a copy of this at a thrift store. Usually, you can find copies for as cheap as $5.00 or so (on Froogle for example) if you don't mind a first edition, though it is outdated (only covers Python 1.5 whereas Python is now up to 2.4 or so).
Good luck and have fun.

**thumper** · January 19th, 2006

I also learn from "Learning Python" from O'Reilly. I would suggest though to go for the latest edition you can find as you don't want to have to unlearn bad habits from earlier versions.

The "Python Cookbook" by O'Reilly is also very good once you know a bit as you can get an insight into the idioms of the language that are often missing when learning yourself.

**wizzkid** · January 19th, 2006

Thanks so much for your inputs

Really appreciate it

**Wallakoala** · January 20th, 2006

Originally Posted by thumper

I also learn from "Learning Python" from O'Reilly. I would suggest though to go for the latest edition you can find as you don't want to have to unlearn bad habits from earlier versions.

The "Python Cookbook" by O'Reilly is also very good once you know a bit as you can get an insight into the idioms of the language that are often missing when learning yourself.

I am reading Learning Python from O'Reilly also and I find it pretty good. The only thing that I want is a book that has more real examples. Like full actual programs that do something useful. I know learning python has some in the end, but I'm looking for something that has a LOT of these. Like, the book Programming Perl has a lot of these for example, and a lot in the back. Is Python Cookbook like this?

**busfahrer** · January 21st, 2006

http://diveintopython.org/

(Freely downloadable)

**DirtDawg** · January 21st, 2006

Originally Posted by Wallakoala

I am reading Learning Python from O'Reilly also and I find it pretty good. The only thing that I want is a book that has more real examples. Like full actual programs that do something useful. I know learning python has some in the end, but I'm looking for something that has a LOT of these. Like, the book Programming Perl has a lot of these for example, and a lot in the back. Is Python Cookbook like this?

Yes, that's exactly what it is.
Also, check out:
http://py.vaults.ca/parnassus/apyllo.py/
and:
http://www.uselesspython.com/

for lots of downloadable examples.

EDIT: Almost forgot the online version of The Cookbook:
http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Python/Cookbook/

**briancurtin** · January 21st, 2006

Originally Posted by Wallakoala

I am reading Learning Python from O'Reilly also and I find it pretty good. The only thing that I want is a book that has more real examples. Like full actual programs that do something useful. I know learning python has some in the end, but I'm looking for something that has a LOT of these. Like, the book Programming Perl has a lot of these for example, and a lot in the back. Is Python Cookbook like this?

i dont have 'learning python' by o'reilly, i have 'programming python' (also by o'reilly). as you go along in the book, it follows a program that you build to pack up and unpack files, going from the most basic command line stuff, adding flags, a little interface, moving it into object oriented form, then near the end moving it all to a GUI using tkinter. im sort of in the middle, but its a pretty good book to learn from, and lets you see the one application build up from the most simple way