(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best python programming books

No, I haven't taken this bootcamp.

Coding bootcamps are fine for people who have already developed strong programming skills. For example, 2-3 years in computer science programming in C or Java, and now they want to switch over to front end development and need to learn JavaScript. In this case, a bootcamp is perfectly fine and even offers opportunities for networking.

For newbies, bootcamps are way too much, way too fast. Beginners are forced to learn a bunch of new technologies before they even have the chance to develop strong programming logic. When you're new, you're still learning how to learn.

If you're new to coding, I recommend you start out learning Python. It's an easy language to learn and a great way to see if this is your thing. Here are some great resources for learning Python.

Starting out with Python by Tony Gaddis https://www.amazon.com/Starting-Out-Python-Student-Value/dp/0134444469/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=python+Tony+Gaddis&qid=1564370739&s=gateway&sr=8-2 $82.32. This textbook is perfectly designed for newbies to learn on their own. Plenty of programming assignments after each chapter and easy to understand examples. Go through this book and do extra practice problems from coderbyte.com.

(FREE RESOURCE) Programming with Mosh, Python Tutorial for Beginners https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uQrJ0TkZlc

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If you want to try your hand at web development, here are some other excellent online communities...

1. The Odin Project (FREE). Includes an online forum where you can ask others questions when you get stuck. Lots of tutorials, links to other great resources, and projects. They're very good at teaching you what you need to learn and how to be successful learning on your own.
   
2. Team Treehouse. Regular membership is $25/month and includes access to video tutorials and a forum where you can post questions. Their techdegrees are $199/month. They include a slack community, graded projects, and opportunities for you to review other students' projects. Their techdegrees are self-paced, so you can take as much time as you need to learn each topic, which is ideal for a beginner.
   
3. FreeCodeCamp (FREE). Lots of examples, an online forum, projects to do, and a learn by doing approach to teaching.

You should learn python. It's both the easiest and the most powerful of all the computer languages.

Most of the other languages have particular strengths, but in any given area, python will be either the best or second best language for the job.

For example, from your list, MATLAB/Octave is great for matrix calculations, but for anything else it's a living nightmare. And similar comments can be made for the others.

The really nice thing about learning python is that it's so general that if you get comfortable with it, you'll find picking up most of the others quite easy, if you ever need to use them.

( I'm a professional programmer / mathematician, and I've used most of the languages listed on this page in anger. And python's not even my favourite language. But if I was only allowed to take one programming language to a desert island, it would be python.)

My old Director of Studies, John Stewart, wrote a book on python aimed at academics wanting to learn programming. I hesitate to recommend it to a beginner because I haven't myself learned to program from it (That would be the TRS-80 BASIC manual from 1981), but I read it when it was published and I thought it was great:

https://www.amazon.com/Python-Scientists-John-M-Stewart/dp/1107686423

I had a longer response, but Reddit wiped it. Doh! The TLDR was:

1. Make a GitHub profile and post all of your work there. Make detailed READMEs to show that you really know what you are doing. This one has paid dividends for me: https://github.com/DaveVoyles/Logistic-Regression-Azure-Workbench
   
   
   
2. Take tons of courses online. Pay for the certs that you really want to show off, otherwise just watch the videos and do the content, and you'll learn a lot that way. I posted about some I really enjoyed here: http://www.davevoyles.com/2018/02/11/getting-started-data-science-machine-learning-python/
   In particular, I find that PluralSight is a fantastic site for learning.
   
   
   Python is a great starting point. Simple language, and once you learn that, it makes it very easy to learn others. In terms of the advanced topics around python, look at those courses in my blog post. I really think they'll help you understand. Keep in mind that I listen to most of those courses TWICE! I find that listening once, I get the gist. The second time I really comprehend what they went through.
   
   
   It sounds like you're getting a solid grasp of programming as a whole. In that case, I'd recommend Learn Python the hard way. https://www.amazon.com/Learn-Python-Hard-Way-Introduction-ebook/dp/B00FGUS948
   
   
   You don't need to learn EVERY PIECE OF THE LANGUAGE, but getting a handle of the basics will go a long way.

At a general level I would say decide you are going to do it and then find a way to learn it. Once you start learning it, find a way to apply it in things that you are doing day-to-day (start with small things and expand).

For some resource recommendations...

If you have little to no programming background, Learn Python the Hard Way is a very good resource. It is free online at http://learnpythonthehardway.org/book/.

I probably wouldn't do all of it, maybe half of it. Also the learning style isn't for everyone so if you get bored with it, then augment it with something else. Yes, it is Python2, but for a network engineer you will be better served by using Python2.

For network engineers, there are quite a few resources available. I run a free course on Python for Network Engineers (see https://pynet.twb-tech.com/email-signup.html) and INE also has a course. There is also a course on Udemy.

I also wouldn't give up on Python books as there quite a few good Python books out there. Yes, some of them are too academic so find one that suits you. I like this one by Matt Harrison http://www.amazon.com/Treading-Python-1-Foundations/dp/1475266413/. It is short and too the point and teaches you fundamentals you need to know.

For an example on using Netmiko see below link...this is an article I wrote last week on zero-touch ASA upgrade:
https://pynet.twb-tech.com/blog/python/asa-upgrade.html

OOP in python is a bit different than other languages because of how python doesn't necessarily advocate for private data members as in many statically typed languages like C++ and Java. Additionally, the keyword decorator property eliminates the need for getters and setters up front in class design.

I have lots of python books but the two that helped me write pythonic classes were Effective Python (I actually only have the 1st edition) and Fluent python. The first book is probably a great crash course so if you get just one book get that one, but the latter book is good too and goes into much more detail without coming across like a dense reference text.

James Powell also has some great videos on pythonic programming, a lot of which involves OOP style.

PSST, the e-book edition goes live today. So, if you want to support then grab an e-book copy on Amazon.

It's much appreciated and if you do order message me with a screenshot of your purchase and I'll hook you up with a Slack invite.

You’ll be able to get one-on-one help from yours truly if you get stuck with any of the code in the book. 👍

The reviews of this book on the given link and Amazon are discouraging. Have you read this book yourself? If so how much previous Python knowledge did you have? Other languages? I'm pretty new to Python myself and have also been looking for something to help me use it in Linux administration. The Red Hat link from Agmenor is pretty good, and probably enough. Need to finish my beginner book first. http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Python-Edition-Gaddis-Series/dp/0132576376

http://www.amazon.com/Python-Unix-Linux-System-Administration/dp/0596515820

Thanks! I'm also taking a Biology class on Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology) and I'm going through this book at the same time: Computing for biologists (http://www.amazon.com/Computing-Biologists-Python-Programming-Principles-ebook/dp/B00O0RKC02/). Every chapter in this book has a very good biology/genomics intro :)

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

amazon.fr

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I’m so sorry I haven’t replied yet!!

I usually use this book along with my courses: Python for Everyone https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119056551/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_PbbHAb3XMAGF8

That said, I’m also currently writing my own Python book! I have no idea when it’ll actually be published though LOL. Hopefully in like a year?

I really enjoyed the Two Scoops of Django book. It's very well written and covers some of the newbie things that are a little hard to google, like how to organize your project directory.

Why don't you try creating a blog or some other django project just for yourself and see how far you get?

I'm going to promote a fellow /r/python redditor's work:

Python 101

Python 202

and then also:

Effective Python


Pound for pound these books are an excellent resource. To learn a language, you need to learn the syntax and then the pit falls and best-design suggestions. I've gone through too many books that err too much one way or the other, and you wind up with a tome that's just collecting dust...even if they're downloaded pdfs (not that anyone does that ;)

These 3 books get a reader spun up on a wide array of python, and they get the job done efficiently.

http://www.amazon.com/Program-Arcade-Games-Python-Pygame/dp/1500825964/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1422552654&sr=1-1&keywords=program+arcade+games+with+python+and+pygame

This one is pretty good, though it may be the complexity you need. I know the author is a redditor though!

Idiomatic Python by Knupp is pretty good - https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Idiomatic-Python-Jeff-Knupp-ebook/dp/B00B5VXMRG/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

And so is Bader's Python Tricks -https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1775093301/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527446271&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=python+tricks&dpPl=1&dpID=51P9sioQi6L&ref=plSrch

Dan Bader's book is really good: https://www.amazon.com/Python-Tricks-Buffet-Awesome-Features-ebook/dp/B0785Q7GSY I'm not sure about the rest, but it looks good.

Can anyone recommend books for computational physics?
I have some experience with programming but would like a book that additionally teaches a new language.
Any thoughts on:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1480145513/ref=ox_sc_mini_detail?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2MZMG0JK9LPC2
https://www.amazon.com/dp/3527413154/ref=pd_luc_rh_bxgy_01_03_t_ttl_lh?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Starting Out With Python, it was a great book and helped me learn python coding.

https://www.amazon.com/Cracking-Codes-Python-Introduction-Building/dp/1593278225/ might be of interest.

Missing:

http://amzn.com/1500825964

Free version:

http://ProgramArcadeGames.com

Link to Amazon?

EDIT: Never mind, found it

Here's the book on amazon. Dear mother of pearl but textbooks are costly...

Something totally utilitarian: Learning Python the Hard Way

Oh hell, who am I kidding. I only do utilitarian