I’ll not soil this posting with talk of copyrighted works and will keep it to strictly free, ebooks available to all. These are the top 15:
- Dive Into Python – The original but not the best anymore. It taught me Python so I’ve got fond memories and a special place in my heart for it.
- How to Think Like a Computer Scientist: Learning With Python – A newly revised edition of this book is due out in Feburary 2009 but its still worth taking a look at the original.
- Text Processing in Python – I haven’t read it but I thoguht I’d add it for the sake of completeness.
- Start Programming With Python – Its a relatively new project started by an enthusiast. A hell of a lot has already been produced and its due to be finished by Xmas.
- PLEAC Python – Its like a rapid-fire Python Cookbook with short, concise examples of how to solve a variety of low-level problems. Form string manipulation to database access.
- Non-Programmers Tutorial for Python – Its for non-programmers but its sometimes useful to read form a different point of view. I find the perspective refreshing.
- Python 101 – Part of a university course this goes through the fundamentals as well as providing exercises.
- Thinking in Python Design Patterns and Problem-Solving Techniques – A mammoth title written by the great Bruce Eckel.
- Python Standard Library – This is seriously showing its age as it was originally written for Python 2.0. Although there’s updates they’re incomplete. Its still worth a look though to get a good idea of the Python core.
- Python Programming Tutorial – It looks okay, though nothing ground breaking.
- Django Book – A book on Pythons greatest web framework.
- Pylons Book – A book on Pythons 3rd best web framework.
- Sockets Programming in Python – I found this over at Scribd which is fast turning out to be a great little site. I recommend you look at some of the other books on offer once you’ve looked at this.
- Python Network Programming – Heavy on theory and light on practice. Still a worthy read when you need to sleep.
- Advanced Python Programming – This is actually a 126 slide lecture given by a Chicago University lecturer. Some good stuff in here.
If I’ve missed any off you think are worthy then let me know.
If you’re after something in paper form then I’d recommend one of the books below.
) and I’m stunned. I now look back at my Pickaxe book and its unbelievable to see the difference. Chapter after chapter is peppered with comments such as: “you can read more about this class by looking at the docs in the back”. What’s not mentioned though is that the docs are actually already part of the Ruby documentation – Its an almost verbatim copy!
