Python book for a non-programmer?

Question

Are there any python books that are suited to someone who doesn't know programming already ? I am looking for something which doesn't have any perquisites (except maybe basic maths :). I have looked at dive into python, and it looks like a very good book, but much of it seems to assume you already know programming concepts (functions, etc.) and this is a present for someone who hasn't coded before (but has expressed an interest in learning). In an ideal world, it would work through concepts step by step giving examples in python, then moving onto python specific things.

Thank you for your help.

Answer 1

I'm not sure Python is the best "first language" out there. Its extra flexibility in typing makes it, IMHO, quite difficult to understand errors. The official tutorials or books for other languages are also gentler than what I have seen for Python. For instance, Java tutorials offer a very good introduction to programming, and so does "Learning Perl".

That being said, if you have the ability to grasp ideas from code examples, the official python tutorials are actually pretty good. They start with the basic concepts, and provide examples. Give them a shot before you hit the bookshelves.

Answer 2

Maybe this helps you: How to Think Like a Computer Scientist

Answer 3

Practical Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science Using Python is a pretty good introductory programming book.

Answer 4

How to think like a (Python) programmer is a free introduction to programming from a mostly Python perspective. It was aimed at beginners.

Answer 5

I would suggest this one:

Hello World! Computer Programming for Kids and Other Beginners
Warren D. Sande and Carter Sande

Though the concepts and ideas presented apply to any programming language, Hello World! uses the easy to learn Python programming language. Python is free, and is available for different platforms, including Windows, Linux, and Mac. Hello World! covers all the basic concepts of computer programming, including memory, looping, decisions, input and output, data structures, graphics, and many more. It then applies them to fun, interesting topics like computer graphics, game programming, and simulations.

Have a look to the table of contents.