Hey everyone! I'm looking for some great books to help me learn Python. I find that reading and applying what I learn works much better for me than watching online lectures. I usually zone out after about 15 minutes of video learning, no matter the topic, lol. Any recommendations?
7 Answers
Not exactly a book, but the MOOC "Python Programming 2025" from the University of Helsinki is fantastic. It's free, text-based, and very hands-on. You learn directly in your browser and start using Visual Studio Code later on!
"Learning Python" by Mark Lutz (6th Edition) is a classic and one of the best resources out there for diving deep into Python programming.
I can't recommend specific books, but I totally get what you're saying. When I was learning C, I had to write things down to stay focused, so maybe try that too!
Check out the "Python Crash Course" (3rd Edition) by Eric Matthes. It's a solid choice for beginners!
Have you tried "Learn Python the Hard Way"? You can find the ebook on a GitHub repo—just Google it and you'll see.
I highly recommend "Automate the Boring Stuff with Python" by Al Sweigart. The first 11 chapters are all about Python basics, and then there are practical projects to automate different tasks. You can even read it for free online at their website!
There's a new third edition of "Head First Python" if you're a fan of that series. Might be fun to check it out!
You can even get a free PDF version here: [Python Crash Course PDF](https://khwarizmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Eric_Matthes_Python_Crash_Course_A_Hands.pdf)!