Recommended Books

I get asked about good books for beginners. Here's an example:

"What Python books do you recommend for novices so they can learn from beginner to advanced?"

For me, this is nearly impossible to answer.

"Beginner" is often undefined. I have to turn this around and ask what you already know about -- well-- everything. Computing. Programming. Languages. etc. etc. 

"Advanced" similarly is undefined. Most folks have areas they're interested in. Machine Learning. IoT. Security. Cloud Engineering. Graphics. Games. Sound. etc. et yet even more ceteras.

And -- even more fascinating to me -- where are you on that journey? What have you done so far?

I'm am (overly) sensitive to being a Personal Search Concierge, PSC™. 

I know people who (actually) cannot make Google work. Seriously. Utterly unable to use it. I believe that they are incapable of reframing their question with synonyms, but instead insist on typing a single thing into the search bar, and if the first promoted response in the list of advertisements doesn't literally answer their question, they email me.

This leads me to a stammering stupidity when asked about Python books.

Yes, I'm an author. Yes, I read other books. But no, I don't think I can answer your question.

One possible non-answer: https://realpython.com/best-python-books/. Start here.

What does "advanced" mean?

Most of the Python experts I know are experts at applying Python to a problem domain. In rare cases, the problem domain is Python itself, but even then, the focus often narrows to a specific package in the standard library, or an aspect of the run-time.

In the process of solving problems with Python, most people tend to learn a fair amount of the language. I work with folks who are fabulous problem-solvers but who'll sometimes be surprised by a Python feature that's outside their already broad experience. 

What's central here is that they're apply Python to something. The thing that seems to distinguish novices from experts is the pursuit of a solution to a problem, and learning Python as part of solving the problem.

It's essential, then, to have a problem about which one is passionate. Given a problem, and passion to solve that problem, expertise will grow.

So that's my other possible non-answer: find a problem you're passionate about and apply Python to solving it.

And yes, that's not a book. Books can help with understanding the problem or working out a solution in Python. Rarely does one book do both.

A good friend of mine's Python expertise comes from arranging the metadata in thousands of photographs on his computer. Apple's photos app has gone through numerous changes, and his photo library had become a jumble of obsolete folders, no longer supported by the current app. So they mastered Python and Apple's scripting tools, and Photos, and Mac OS X to arrange their photos. 

There are many Civic Tech organizations like the Code for America where you can confront large, complex problems, and build tech skills while helping solve a real-world problem. 

Another possible non-answer: https://www.govwebworks.com/2018/12/03/investigating-the-civic-tech-movement/

Everyone's journey is unique.