Learning Python, 5th Edition

I don't write too many reviews but I have to review this book. I'm just trying to learn the language to do some web, security, and rasberry pi development on my own. I tried to learn python over a year ago, got frustrated and quit. I tried to pick up the language again about 2 weeks ago. I have read and tried to work through Learning Python the Hard Way (LPHW). LPHW is a good resource and it did give me a general understand of the language. It teaches python version 2x. I have also read Dive into Python 3 (DP3). DP3 is also a good resource and it teaches python version 3x. I have also read and referenced [...] For the most part, I am able to write simple code. But I got frustrated when I tried to review and understand complex code structures. I had a hard time understanding the nuances of the language. I spent hours searching online and watching tutorial videos. But I was constantly frustrated because there were all these exceptions that didn't make sense to me. I kept on asking why this works and why that does not work.The best thing about this book is that it explain the nuances of the language by giving multiple examples. So it does explains it in a complete manner. A lot of other resources will touch upon a topic and then glance over it. I often wondered.. what about this... so a lot of other resources expect you to test the other cases out which in most circumstance will be okay, but in others, you are still left wondering "why?". This book does not do that. In fact, I almost didn't need to try the examples on the interactive python command line because it was so thorough.This book is not for the beginner. You will get lost among the trees in the forest because there is so much information in this book. If you are impatient or need to start coding right away, you really won't be able to do this with Learning Python. LPHW and DP3 are much better at getting you up and running. But to write error free code, you have to understand the nuances of the language which Learning Python teaches you. Learning Python the Hard Way (free on the internet) and Dive into Python 3 (also free) are great resources to get introduced to the language. I would recommend both before you delve into this book. But once you get an understand of the basics of python, this book will fill in the missing details.As a disclaimer, I have only been reading this book for a day. I have already read 300 pages. A lot of it was review. But I learned a lot of new stuff as well that filled in the gaps. I have not read the section on regex or the more advanced sections yet so this review is not complete. But so far, I am impressed on the thoroughness of the subject matter.The main grip I have is that I bought the kindle version. If I read it in a linear fashion the material seem to flow nicely. But when I come to certain sections, I need to jump around. You find this a lot with any technical book. The kindle version makes this difficult because I cannot "easily" keep track of what I was reading so I get side tracked a lot. I also cannot effectively add notes (yes, I know I can add notes). I ended up using 4 devices to read this book just to keep track of where I was. I may get the hardcopy so that I have an easy quick reference book to look at later at my desk. With a hard copy, I use bookmarkers that I can quickly page to. I know about the kindle bookmarks but they are cumbersome to use. Fortunately, its hard to beat the fact that I can carry this book on my phone if I wanted to. So I would rate the kindle version 3 stars.Overall, I would buy this again on kindle.

I wanted to pick up programming as a little hobby to do in my spare time. After stumbling through countless websites picking up little tidbits of information here and there (and spending ALOT more time and effort than I expected) I was starting to doubt if this was even possible to learn myself. As said before, I would pick up little bits of information and try to make my own little programs. I got very very basic information down but couldn’t comprehend how to to write anything more than a simple 20 line script. I was about to give up. Then I bought this book.and WOW. This book was absolutely amazing. I read it for hours everyday from when I purchased it. I finished the book 3 weeks later. I can say this book was monumental in what it taught me. (And it’s size too - LOL - the thing is massive but so worth the read)He teaches everything so simple and easy to read. Go through his lines of every example and try to understand what is happening. You’ll find by about page 500 everything is slowly starting to make sense. By page 1000 you’ll be thinking wow I can read and understand each example of code (even the longer ones). You start seeing how programs are put together, how every single line has a purpose. The syntax, the wording, the placement , the white space. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed learning programming from this book. It has enabled me to complete an online python course. I love solving problems on my own - each one is like a puzzle and I get a little joy when I successfully complete the challenge. Thank you Mark - for allowing me to experience this journey. I surely would have given up had I not found this book.This book is like sitting directly in his college lectures for a semester. Only I didn’t have to spend 4 months to get the information. I could learn as fast as I could read. All told it was a 3 week book for me and it was very very very worth it. I’ve purchased his second book (Programming Python) and hope it will be just as good as this one.If you’re serious about learning python than stop looking further. This needs to be a book you buy.The contents are expansive and in depth without overloading you. It’s taught in a simple easy to understand way. And the appendix is well laid out so after you finish reading it and get into the nitty gritty of programming you can always know exactly where to look in the book to get help on how to do something. A+++.Again, thank you Mark.