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Python Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science

by John Zelle (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 103 ratings
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This book is designed to be used as the primary textbook in a college-level first course in computing. It takes a fairly traditional approach, emphasizing problem solving, design, and programming as the core skills of computer science. However, these ideas are illustrated using a non-traditional language, namely Python. Although Python is the language, teaching Python is not the main point of this book. Rather, Python is used to illustrate fundamental principles of design and programming that apply in any language or computing environment. In some places, certain Python features and idioms that are not generally found in other languages are avoided. There are already many good books about Python on the market; this book is intended as an introduction to computing.
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  1. ISBN-10
    1590280288
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1887902991
  3. Publisher
    Franklin, Beedle & Associates Inc.
  4. Publication date
    December 1, 2003
  5. Language
    English
  6. Dimensions
    7.5 x 1.19 x 9.25 inches
  7. Print length
    528 pages
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Python Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science, Fourth Edition
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Disguised as a Python textbook, it's really an introduction to programming, using Python as the preffered medium for beginners." -- Guido van Rossum, Creator of Python

"Introduces Python and computer science concepts in a style that beginning students find appealing and easy to understand." -- Dave Reed, Capital University

"Provides clear explanation of introductory programming concepts, and shows why Python is an excellent choice for a first language." -- Russell May, Morehead State University

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1887902996
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Franklin, Beedle & Associates Inc. (December 1, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 528 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1590280288
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1887902991
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 1.19 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 103 ratings

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John M. Zelle

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4.5 out of 5 stars
103 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this Python programming book excellent for beginners, with clear explanations and examples that are easy to follow. Moreover, the language is well-written and the content is well-organized. They appreciate its effectiveness, with one customer describing it as a valuable tool. However, the content receives mixed feedback, with some customers finding it interesting while others note that the topic examples tend to be dry.

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36 customers mention "Programming knowledge"30 positive6 negative

Customers praise this book as an excellent introduction to programming, particularly for complete novices, with clear explanations and examples that are easy to follow.

"...I highly recommend this book for beginners, as it will teach you to think like a programmer, and understanding that thought process is more..." Read more

"..." is great for beginners, but it also gives the kind of thorough grounding in clear concepts (a 'Computer Science 101') that is great for beginners..." Read more

"...This book is good for beginners and learning the basics of programming...." Read more

"...Simple" programs that teach important concepts while having code that one can easily see adapted to a working app is a great way to teach...." Read more

10 customers mention "Language"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the language of the book, finding it wonderfully written and easy to read, particularly noting its focus on Python programming.

"...taking a well organized approach to introducing programing using a great language...." Read more

"...Python is a beautiful language and this is a beautiful book...." Read more

"...While nicely-formatted text output and pretty graphical things may be rewarding for some people, a real CS book should focus on things like "if", "..." Read more

"...I have entered a whole new world. Zelle's book is so wonderfully written and aimed for the complete novice...." Read more

6 customers mention "Effectiveness"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book effective, with one mentioning it provides good examples and useful programs.

"...just one week, I was able to code my own set of non-trivial and useful programs with minimal reference to his book or to a guide elsewhere...." Read more

"...The exercises at the end of each chapter are also very helpful. There's no better way to learn than by writing programs......" Read more

"...The appendix in the back of the book is a valuable tool that gives a list of all the basic features that are helpful in writing Python programs." Read more

"...Zelle gives a lot of good examples for what you are doing...." Read more

5 customers mention "Organization"4 positive1 negative

Customers find the book well organized.

"...Although "Learn to Program" is a very well done book (and Ruby similarly clear like Python), it is just a little too basic, light, and brief for..." Read more

"...The real genius here is taking a well organized approach to introducing programing using a great language...." Read more

"A great book to start learning how to program, well structured, very explicit, very practical and easy to read .." Read more

"...The topic examples tend to be dry and difficult to follow, and with no explanations to any exercises, even harder to guage how you are doing...." Read more

7 customers mention "Content"4 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's content, with some finding it engaging and well-structured, while others note that the topic examples are dry and too much time is spent on explanations.

"...This in turn builds the enthusiasm it takes to survive the jump from programming to CS...." Read more

"...The topic examples tend to be dry and difficult to follow, and with no explanations to any exercises, even harder to guage how you are doing...." Read more

"...This one builds topic upon topic, using what was learned previously to help tackle the next area. An excellent book!" Read more

"...for beginning programmers, however it is very basic and does not cover any advanced topics in any way...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Mini Wheat
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book...
    Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    For my whole life I've been meaning to "get around" to programming. But online tutorials could not teach me anything useful, and the introductory texts I had acquired through the years all told me one thing: that I shouldn't bother. Zelle, though, has written an outstanding introductory text to not only Python but also programming. He emphasizes what many authors do not - that programming is as much a way of thinking as it is a set of languages. To program effectively, one must problem solve. It is an obvious point oft ignored by other authors. Zelle hammers it home. After studying his book for just one week, I was able to code my own set of non-trivial and useful programs with minimal reference to his book or to a guide elsewhere.

    What I don't like is that Zelle's discussion of graphic design relies upon a module of his own design (graphics.py) and NOT a standardized toolkit that a user would benefit from learning. Zelle's logic is that toolkits can overwhelm the beginning programmer and that any introductory text must include heavy discussion of graphic design (because graphic design is what interests most people). So he must figure out a way - and he writes a very good module - to teach GUI design to beginners. While I see Zelle's point, it was frustrating to use a module that Zelle himself admitted wouldn't be of much use down the road.

    Ultimately, though, I highly recommend this book for beginners, as it will teach you to think like a programmer, and understanding that thought process is more important than mastering the syntax of any language.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • McDonald
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Introduction to Programming in General
    Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2008
    Verified Purchase
    I am a designer aspiring to develop stronger skills in JavaScript and ActionScript. I realized it would be helpful for me to get a better grounding in the core concepts and most general patterns of programming. I was attracted to this book for the subtitle, "An Introduction to Computer Science", and I had heard that Python is similar to the scripting type of languages that I need. I looked at a number of other books for this introductory purpose, one of which was "Learn to Program" (using Ruby) published by Pragmatic Programmers. Although "Learn to Program" is a very well done book (and Ruby similarly clear like Python), it is just a little too basic, light, and brief for what I wanted. "Python Programming" is great for beginners, but it also gives the kind of thorough grounding in clear concepts (a 'Computer Science 101') that is great for beginners to learn with and for experts to review and refresh themselves with.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Chris Watson
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction to Python
    Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    I purchased this book because I needed a good introduction not just to Python, but to programming in general. I already knew a bit of Python, and was experienced in BASH and Matlab, so perhaps that made the transition easier for me.

    This book is good for beginners and learning the basics of programming. Unlike the online docs (which are useful in their own right), this book goes through the steps involved in writing your own programs. The exercises at the end of each chapter are also very helpful. There's no better way to learn than by writing programs...

    As a bonus, the author wrote a graphics library, which is just a wrapper around the Tkinter library. It's pretty handy if you want to do simple graphics stuff in a hurry, but if you want to do actual graphics, you'll need to look beyond this book.

    A couple downsides: I didn't see lambda functions, filters, or maps in there, but this is a very minor complaint, and when you're finished with this book, you can easily just look at the online docs to learn about them. And if you want an in-depth look at modules (e.g. sys, os), you'll have to look elsewhere. But this doesn't detract from the book at all.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • MedIT
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great intro to programing, but not computer science
    Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    This is a great intro book for those looking for a gentle introduction to programing. That said it claims to be an introduction to computer science, which it is not. It offers almost no coverage of theoretical computing issues that are the hallmark of the classic intro CS books.

    In someways the distinction between intro CS and programing is unfair; however, it does track with the reality of freshman intro CS at all the universities I've known. Students in intro CS already know how to program. They may not know about von Neumann or Turning, their code is ugly, and they've never seen assembly, but they can program. It's because they can program that they are ready for an introduction to computer science.

    This book is great for getting to the level of the average, even beyond the average, student in intro college CS. It, unlike intro CS (despite claims to the contrary), starts assuming nothing and builds forward in a logical way to teach readers how to make a computer do something. I would recommend this book for a programing class for non-majors, a high school class, adult education, intro to programing self study etc.

    In the same way that this is not a real introduction to computer science it is not an introduction to Python. There are many books that would be vastly superior introductions to the Python language for those who are already competent programmers.

    The real genius here is taking a well organized approach to introducing programing using a great language. This allows readers to get starting writing interesting programs quickly and doing so without learning horrible habits or without regard for the fundamentals of computer science. This in turn builds the enthusiasm it takes to survive the jump from programming to CS. In short, I wish that every student in CS101 had used this book for a class in high school, but I'd never use this book for CS101.
    13 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Bob
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good book for both novices and experienced programmers alike
    Reviewed in Canada on July 12, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent book! I've been programming for almost 40 years, but am new to Python. This book teaches the concepts of programming using Python as the vehicle. As each concept is developed, the explanations are clearly presented and the code examples systematically lead the reader (student) from basic concepts through to code optimization. When I first started reading I found myself thinking, "That's not the program logic I would use -- there's a more efficient way." As I read further, the author pointed out the same thing and clearly explained the changes to make to increase the program efficiency. I see this to be an excellent approach to teaching the subject matter. I quite enjoyed reading this, even if it is a course text book.
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  • antxmas
    5.0 out of 5 stars Frustrating
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I have followed this book up to chapter 5 at which point the reader is required to install graphics.py to progress. This process is not well explained at all and after 4 hours of research and trial and error I eventually gave up and went back to the other books I have been using.

    Other than this disappointing experience the book seemed well written and useful. It should be noted that it is used as the main text for one of the MIT open access courses (6.00 python for beginners) which can be followed online with videos and notes. I had found this a very useful learning experience until graphics.py. I would have been far happier if the author had used the established "Tkinter" python graphics module instead of creating his own. To anyone who decides to use this book I would recommend that you use the exact version of python 2 as the book and make sure you place the graphics.py file in the correct path. Hope you have better luck than me and I will be referring back to this book in future as it has some great problem sets and explanations.
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great starter book
    Reviewed in Canada on December 3, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Pretty funny to read as well
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  • Fahad Qazi
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 24, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Really good book. Not just for computer science but also for python programming.
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