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Reviews
Automate the Boring Stuff with Python: Practical Programming for Total Beginners by Al Sweigart
effaly's review
2.0
If you're looking for a Python book that offers detailed explanations of new concepts, you might want to look elsewhere. This book often presents code snippets without diving into why they work. It's frustrating when new modules are introduced without any real explanation, even on a basic level.
For example, when discussing different file handling methods, the book shows how to use shelves and the 'open()' function, but it doesn't explain the benefits or the significant differences between them. As a reader, I need to understand the concept behind the code to really learn from it. Just copying and pasting code without any context isn't helpful.
If I have to Google everything to understand the basics, then what's the point of having a book? I'd appreciate more detailed explanations, conceptual overviews, and comparisons between different approaches. Without these, the book feels incomplete and lacks the educational value I'm seeking.
For example, when discussing different file handling methods, the book shows how to use shelves and the 'open()' function, but it doesn't explain the benefits or the significant differences between them. As a reader, I need to understand the concept behind the code to really learn from it. Just copying and pasting code without any context isn't helpful.
If I have to Google everything to understand the basics, then what's the point of having a book? I'd appreciate more detailed explanations, conceptual overviews, and comparisons between different approaches. Without these, the book feels incomplete and lacks the educational value I'm seeking.
jecarey's review
4.0
This was a well-written book. I recommend it to the following:
1) People who primarily have a web background that want to learn what else is out there in terms of programming and what you can accomplish with it. Similarly recommend it if you are a mostly non-technical office worker who wants to see if they can automate any of the drudgery in their tasks at work.
2) People with Python experience who want to round out their knowledge of common libraries, brush up on some things, or get inspiration for a project. You can skip the first 7-8 chapters if this is you.
3) Motivated beginners. If you have no prior experience and no one to help you it might help to read another intro book.
1) People who primarily have a web background that want to learn what else is out there in terms of programming and what you can accomplish with it. Similarly recommend it if you are a mostly non-technical office worker who wants to see if they can automate any of the drudgery in their tasks at work.
2) People with Python experience who want to round out their knowledge of common libraries, brush up on some things, or get inspiration for a project. You can skip the first 7-8 chapters if this is you.
3) Motivated beginners. If you have no prior experience and no one to help you it might help to read another intro book.
neilmartin's review
5.0
Great introduction to Python with some good challenges included in there too.
opson's review
2.0
Not a huge fan of the structure of this book. Aimed at beginners but I felt like it's explained by someone who doesn't remember how overwhelming it is to be a beginner in programming.
hauteclere's review
5.0
Very clear and well-written guide to Python - covers the basics of Python and programming, and then takes you through practical examples where you will learn to do useful things like scrape the net, send emails and texts and work with spreadsheets. The examples are interesting and I learned a lot. Ideal for the person who prefers to learn by solving practical problems rather than through more classical computer science course type approaches. Highly recommended. While I am of course very far away from being anything resembling a programmer, I feel I can hack my way through a simple problem and probably come up with an approach. Now its time to practice.
benrogerswpg's review against another edition
4.0
This was an excellent book.
I for one, automate everything.
Pretty much everything on my phone is automated, allowing me to save time not using my phone.
This book helped me automate some of my web and computer projects and tasks.
Highly recommended for task automation tinkerers like me.
4.6/5
I for one, automate everything.
Pretty much everything on my phone is automated, allowing me to save time not using my phone.
This book helped me automate some of my web and computer projects and tasks.
Highly recommended for task automation tinkerers like me.
4.6/5
hjbolus's review
5.0
Fantastic for learning Python, I recommend pairing it with exercises from the Euler Project for some great problem solving practice. It’ll push you to put to use what you’ve learned here, and there are some very versatile tools to get creative with!
mark_lm's review
4.0
I have a few other introductions to Python, but this one was especially appealing to me. Its example applications are very practical, and it covers regular expressions, file handling, web scraping, working with MSWord and MS Excel files, and handling image files and e-mails.