Python for Software Design: How to Think Like a Computer Scientist

by Allen B. Downey

Book Overview

Python for Software Design is a concise introduction to software design using the Python programming language. Intended for people with no programming experience, this book starts with the most basic concepts and gradually adds new material. Some of the ideas students find most challenging, like recursion and object-oriented programming, are divided into a sequence of smaller steps and introduced over the course of several chapters. The focus is on...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521725968
• ISBN13: 9780521725965
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 270 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.0" x 9.9"

Customer Reviews

Superb job using interactive mode.

This book is great at teaching all the basics of programming in a very short time. If you use Python's interactive mode you don't even have to write many programs using this book, as much of the book can just be done via exploration at the interactive prompt. I recommend this book for several types of users. It does make a great first introduction to programming, even covering OOP concepts. It also is a great introduction to the Python language for those with a little programming experience in another language. You won't find much about all the modules available to Python, but that is not the intent of this book.

great guide

A great study aid, using Python which is free to download, well worth the money.

Excellent

I just got the online copy of this (available free under the GNU documentation license). I had some classes in the past, programming classes, all pertained to java and i did not learn much of anything about it. It was just "type this and blarg (As someone in a previous review said" This book is amazing, it has an elegant and significant way of blending words to the point where its fun to learn programming. Stick with the book and you'll not only learn the basics of Python, but you'll learn all the logic and other implementations of computer programming as you go along! Very good read and i plan on purchasing a hardbound copy just as a keepsake becuase i enjoy this book so much.

Excellent book for beginners!

"How to Think Like a Computer Scientist: Learning with Python" is one of the best computer programming books out there that beginners can start with! I have been enjoying this book for the past two months and I HIGHLY recommend it for the following reasons:1) This book is designed with beginners (like you) in mind. In other words, you will not have to hire a tutor to be able to understand this book! It is very easy and clear to understand -- unlike many of the previous programming books that I have come across in the past.2) It teaches you the necessary programming fundamentals that other programming languages require you to know. Once you have learned how to work with python, you will probably find it pretty easy (as I did) to acquire additional programming languages, such as Microsoft Visual Basic, C++ and Java.3) This book provides the beginner with many easy-to-understand examples, in which the reader can try out. This makes the learning experience more interactive and enjoyable.4) Python is a very easy language for beginners to work with. It is very easy to comprehend and tends to be on the "forgiving" side, especially if one makes a mistake while trying to learn to program.5) Python is a free programming language that works with my different type of computer systems. It works beautifully with Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, Unix, Linux, Solaris, and other operating systems. With the language being free, you do not have to pay additional money to obtain the software.I absolutely love this book and I hope that you will find it to be a fun and rewarding experience too. Give it a try -- it will open up a new world of programming to you!

A Must Read

This is a more than wonderful explanation and how to for any computer person...it is great......thank you to all the authors,good work!!