What is Python?
Ever since its initial design in 1991 by Guido van Rossum, Python has gained traction. Python’s extensive uses in web development, complex data analysis, and machine learning drive its popularity. Although Python practice problems exist, the interpreted high-level machine-level language is touted as the first language a programmer should learn.
The popularity of the language has amplified opportunities for programmers.
How to Learn Python?
If you plan to learn the language from scratch or just wish to up your python game, there’s a vast resource of books available out there. Whether you are a beginner or a coder, it’s easy to get a grip on the language provided you choose the right Python books for your unique learning needs.
So, it’s time you check here the best Python books for beginners and Advanced Programmers.
Best Python Books
Join us on a journey across the 10 Best Python Books for beginners and advanced programmers.
1. Python Crash Course
As the name suggests, the book is a crash course in Python for those new to the language. The 544-page Python book helps you to beef up your knowledge of Python with comprehensive content and a thoughtful presentation style.
The book features multiple libraries, such as Pygame, Matplotib, Plotly, Django, and more. The author, Eric Matthes, has cleverly divided the book into two sections.
The first section deals with basic concepts and how to use them to create programs. The second section is about testing the knowledge acquired to complete three different projects.
That makes the book suitable not only for a beginner but also for someone with intermediate-level knowledge of Python. By the time you finish reading it, you will know how to write programs with Python and solve Python practice problems.
Book at a glance:
- Pages: 544
- Suitability: Beginners and inter
- Published in: 2015
- Author: Eric Matthes
- Original language: English
- Latest Edition: Second
You can buy this book here.
2. Think Python: How to Think Like a Computer Scientist
“Think Python” by Allen B. Downey is a straightforward introduction to Python programming. Living up to its name, the book makes you think like a coder and help imbibe the best practices for successful Python programming. That speaks for the book’s popularity.
Rather than choosing a few topics for an in-depth discussion, the book delves into a broader range of topics. All key topics, such as operator overloading, analysis of algorithms, polymorphism, and mutability versus immutability are discussed elaborately. Plus, it has four exercises to put the learnings from the book into practice.
Book at a glance:
- Pages: 429
- Suitability: Beginners and inter
- Published in: 2015
- Author: Allen B. Downey
- Original language: English
You can buy this book here.
3. Head First Python
Paul Barry had an experience of over a decade in the IT industry before pursuing a career as a lecturer at the Institute of Technology Carlow, Ireland. Therefore, he has the credentials to write on as technical a subject as Python.
It is one of the best books to read for beginners.
The book is a quick guide to learning the language. It covers Python web apps, database management, exception handling, data wrangling, comprehensions, context managers, decorators, generators, and other key topics.
For speedy and stickier learning, the author takes a visual approach to provide illustrations and examples. Despite the unique visual approach, it does not compromise content quality.
Book at a glance:
- Author: Paul Barry
- Suitability: Beginners and inter
- Published in: 2016
- Original language: English
- Latest Edition: Second
You can buy this book here.
4. Learn Python the Hard Way
Learn Python the Hard Way is a quality offering from Zed A. Shaw. It walks you through a diverse range of topics, such as basic mathematics, strings, variables, files, loops, programs, and data structures.
The book focuses on teaching Python the hard way, i.e. by learning to code. The book has 52 exercises in all, tailor-made for a beginner. The exercises require you to type the codes, edit the mistakes and then run the code. It even guides you to debug and break-fix your code.
If the book is followed thoroughly, you won’t be a beginner by the end of it. Also, the book illustrates topics in an easy-to-read format. So, if you are looking for Python for kids, Learn Python the Hard Way makes sense.
Book at a glance:
- Author: Zed A. Shaw
- Suitability: Beginners and inter
- Published in: 2017
- Original language: English
- Latest Edition: Third
You can buy this book here.
5. Effective Python: 59 Ways to Write Better Python
Effective Python is ideal for readers with an intermediate level of knowledge of Python. This is the book book to learn Python.
You can consider the book as a collection of 59 independent articles on the best Python practices and built-in tools. The book is designed to push your Python skills and make you an expert.
“Effective Python” elucidates a wide range of topics on varying complexity levels. This includes debugging, optimization, testing, and memory management, to name a few.
As the articles are independent of each other, you can hop around picking and choosing the one you find helpful. Also, the independent articles mean you can read one article at a time and come back to the rest of the book whenever you have the time for it.
Book at a glance:
- Author: Brett Slatkin
- Pages: 248
- Suitability: Inter & Advanced
- Published in: 2015
- Original language: English
You can buy this book here.
6. Python Cookbook: Recipes for Mastering Python 3
Isn’t it a strange name for a book? But what the book discusses isn’t strange by any means. It’s essentially a collection of “recipes” that help you master the dish called Python 3. Plus, it can help you upgrade your knowledge of Python 2.
The book features a comprehensive range of recipes covering Python and its applications. The topics like data structures, strings, functions, modules, packages, and more are covered extensively. With its help, you can learn to code in Python easily.
As one of the top python books, it has chapters containing a problem, a sample code, and a discussion on how the sample works for the problem. So, you have answers for your Python practice problems.
However, you require a fundamental knowledge of the topics to make the most of the book. As such, the book isn’t a great buy for a beginner.
Book at a glance:
- Authors: David Beazley and David K. Jones
- Suitability: Beginners and inter
- Published in: 2013
- Original language: English
- Latest Edition: Third
You can buy this book here.
7. Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python
The name says it all “Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python”. It’s more of a guidebook to learning Python to create games than a reference book for the language. You can call it the go-to book for anyone aspiring to create games with Python.
The book contains an array of games and teaches the basics required to complete each game. From print statements, escape characters, and basic string operations to Boolean operators, all the concepts are elaborated with regard to their use in creating a specific game.
Book at a glance:
- Author: Al Sweigart
- Suitability: Beginners and inter
- Published in: 2013
- Original language: English
- Latest Edition: Third
You can buy this book here.
8. Effective Computation in Physics: Field Guide to Research with Python
Don’t be fooled by the name! You don’t need a basic understanding of Physics to get the hang of this book. The book is divided into four sections: Getting Started, Getting it Done, Getting it Right, and Getting it Out there.
- Getting it Started is about getting the fundamentals right. It contains a chapter on the bash command line.
- The second part, Getting it Done builds on the first part to give you practical insights. It makes for one-third of the book.
- Getting it Right brings to focus the common mistakes one makes when learning Python.
- Getting it Out discusses effective communication with the consumer of the code.
As it turns out to be, the book is a comprehensive guide to Python. And, that’s precisely what makes it a must-read.
Book at a glance:
- Authors: Anthony Scopatz & Kathryn Huff
- Pages: 552
- Suitability: Inter and Advanced
- Published in: 2015
- Original language: English
You can buy this book here.
9. Programming Python: Powerful Object-Oriented Programming
“Programming Python Powerful Object-Oriented Programming” is a powerful resource for all things Python. Besides all key applications like GUIs, the Web, and system administration, the book also introduces the reader to commonly used tools, syntax, and programming techniques. It’s a well-recommended python book for beginners.
It also has sufficient examples to make learning easy. Plus, exercises are there to help you apply what you learn. By Mark Lutz, the book is perfect for someone who understands the fundamentals of the language and is now ready to learn its real-world applications.
Book at a glance:
- Authors: Mark Lutz
- Pages: 1652
- Suitability: Inter and Advanced
- Published in: 2011
- Original language: English
You can buy this book here.
10. Introduction to Machine Learning with Python: A Guide for Data Scientists
Machine learning is one of the hot application prospects of Python. And, ‘Introduction to Machine Learning with Python’ is all about that.
It introduces you to the machine learning aspect of the language by teaching the necessary machine learning algorithms. And then, it educates about the pros and cons of various machine learning algorithms.
The book also deals with other topics, such as data processing, model evaluation, pipelines, etc.
- Authors: Andreas Muller
- Pages: 392
- Suitability: Inter and Advanced
- Published in: 2016
- Original language: English
You can buy this book here.
Conclusion
Which is the Best Python Book?
Well, there’s no definitive answer to the question. It varies from person to person, depending on factors like level of knowledge and purpose of learning. There is no scarcity of resources available, and you should spend some time choosing the right Python Books for yourself.
We hope that the list provided above helps you in the best way possible.
Good luck!
FAQs
Question: Can you learn Python from a book?
Answer: Definitely. Books are a great source of learning with ample exercises and practice sets.
Question: How long does it take to learn Python?
Answer: If you have prior knowledge of programming, then it will take approximately 3 weeks to get acquainted with the language.
Question: What does // mean in Python?
Answer: // is the floor division operator. IT rounds the result to the nearest whole number.
For instance, x = 19, y = 2; then x//y = 9
Question: Where can I practice the codes in Python?
Answer: There are various online compilers available where you can test your codes.
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