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  • Python Crash Course, 2nd Edition: A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction To Programming

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Python Crash Course, 2nd Edition: A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction To Programming

4.7 out of 5 stars (8,382)

The best-selling Python book in the world, with over 1 million copies sold!

A fast-paced, no-nonsense, updated guide to programming in Python.

If you've been thinking about learning how to code or picking up Python, this internationally bestselling guide to the most popular programming language is your quickest, easiest way to get started and go! Even if you have no experience whatsoever, Python Crash Course, 2nd Edition, will have you writing programs, solving problems, building computer games, and creating data visualizations in no time.

You’ll begin with basic concepts like variables, lists, classes, and loops―with the help of fun skill-strengthening exercises for every topic―then move on to making interactive programs and best practices for testing your code. Later chapters put your new knowledge into play with three cool projects: a 2D Space Invaders-style arcade game, a set of responsive data visualizations you’ll build with Python's handy libraries (Pygame, Matplotlib, Plotly, Django), and a customized web app you can deploy online.

Why wait any longer? Start your engine and code!
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From the Publisher

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'Terrific'

"With a patient and experienced pedagogical style, and a combination of thorough language instruction and plenty of illustrative sample code, Python Crash Course is a terrific way to begin learning computer programming in general and the Python language in particular."

—Michael J. Ross, web developer and former Slashdot contributor

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'Well Thought Out'

“All of these projects are well thought out and presented in such a way that learning the subject matter and implementing it is much more an enjoyable pastime rather than an onerous task that must be completed. Eric took the time to deal with some rather complex projects and lay them out in a consistent, logical and pleasant manner that draws the reader into the subject willingly.”

—Full Circle Magazine

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'Teaches Clean Programming'

"While Python Crash Course uses Python to teach you to code, it also teaches clean programming skills that apply to most other languages."

—Great Lakes Geek

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About the Author

Eric Matthes is a high school science and math teacher living in Alaska, where he teaches an introductory Python course. He has been writing programs since he was five years old. Eric currently focuses on writing software that addresses inefficiencies in education and brings the benefits of open source software to the field of education. In his spare time he enjoys climbing mountains and spending time with his family.

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About the Publisher

No Starch Press has published the finest in geek entertainment since 1994, creating both timely and timeless titles like Python Crash Course, Python for Kids, How Linux Works, and Hacking: The Art of Exploitation. An independent, San Francisco-based publishing company, No Starch Press focuses on a curated list of well-crafted books that make a difference. They publish on many topics, including computer programming, cybersecurity, operating systems, and LEGO. The titles have personality, the authors are passionate experts, and all the content goes through extensive editorial and technical reviews. Long known for its fun, fearless approach to technology, No Starch Press has earned wide support from STEM enthusiasts worldwide.

Product description

Review

All of these projects are well thought out and presented in such a way that learning the subject matter and implementing it is much more an enjoyable pastime rather than an onerous task that must be completed. Eric took the time to deal with some rather complex projects and lay them out in a consistent, logical and pleasant manner that draws the reader into the subject willingly, which unfortunately, many authors fail to do. --Full Circle Magazine

The book is well presented with good explanations of the code snippets. It works with you, one small step at a time, building more complex code, explaining what's going on all the way. --FlickThrough Reviews

Learning Python with Python Crash Course was an extremely positive experience! A great choice if you re new to Python. --Mikke Goes Coding

About the Author

Eric Matthes is a high school math and science teacher living in Alaska who teaches an Introduction to Programming class in Python. He has been writing programs since he was five years old.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ No Starch Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 9 May 2019
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 2nd Edition
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 544 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1593279280
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1593279288
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 1.02 kg
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 17.8 x 3.2 x 23.5 cm
  • Best Sellers Rank: 244,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars (8,382)

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
8,382 global ratings
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Customers say

Customers find this Python programming book highly recommended and suitable for beginners, starting from basics and explaining concepts clearly. The book is well-written, easy to understand, and customers enjoy working through it, with one noting it holds their hand through the basics. They appreciate its concise nature and consider it worth the money.
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58 customers mention content, 51 positive, 7 negative
Customers find the content of the book highly positive, describing it as amazing and essential reading that really helps with learning.
Great book for anybody studying python or needing a refresher, full of useful information and examples of code in a very well structured format.Read more
A good book for providing an introduction to Python with some useful exercises....Read more
Brilliant! Here's what I thought: Pros: -Suitable for all ages...Read more
Very good book indeed.Read more
47 customers mention suitable for beginners, 43 positive, 4 negative
Customers find the book suitable for beginners, as it offers a great introduction to Python and starts from the very basics, explaining concepts clearly.
This is a really great book. A great introduction to Python for all levels of previous programming experience....Read more
...Book content is very good for beginners and must say really enjoying it.....Read more
...this book to have a good source in details but it's more suitable for beginners....Read more
very comprehensive book for a good priceRead more
18 customers mention readability, 15 positive, 3 negative
Customers find the book easy to understand and read, with one customer specifically noting that the code inside is easily readable.
Easy to follow, everything explained in perfect detail. Definitely a great starting point if you are just getting into coding....Read more
Gread guide leading you step by steb. Easy to read!Read more
...He says he finds this book really useful and easy to understand.Read more
Content: This is a straightforward and accessible introduction to Python which will quickly get you creating your own programmes...Read more
11 customers mention value for money, 9 positive, 2 negative
Customers find the book well worth the money, with multiple customers expressing satisfaction with their purchase.
happy with the purchaseRead more
...valuableRead more
...like to be opened, but if you can overlook that, it's well worth opening.Read more
...Overall, this was a good buy and I would definitely recommend it for anyone wishing to learn Python from scratch.Read more
11 customers mention writing quality, 11 positive, 0 negative
Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it well composed and easy to understand, with one customer mentioning they can now write a game.
Well written book easy to follow clear lessons and easy to make progress withRead more
...Python seems to be much easier to learn and this book is very well written....Read more
Well composed book with excellent problems and projects.Read more
...this book, during the covid lockdown, and it is written in an easy to understand manor. I would, and have, highly recommend it!...Read more
9 customers mention engaging, 8 positive, 1 negative
Customers find the book engaging, with several mentioning they enjoy working through it, and one noting it's quite fun to read.
Started to read the book, and it seems very interesting, BUT one problem!...Read more
Great book enjoying working through it, but, after a couple of days it has already fallen apart. Poorly made.Read more
...I've really enjoyed working through it and I have found that even the more complicated concepts are explained in a way which is easy to follow....Read more
...I'm finding it quite fun and the syntax is becoming familiar now....Read more
8 customers mention teaching style, 8 positive, 0 negative
Customers appreciate the teaching style of the book, with one mentioning that it holds your hand as you work through the basics, while another notes that it helps develop skills at a steady pace and provides great hands-on activities.
...The teaching style is patient and informative. As other reviewers have noted, the binding of book became detached almost immediately....Read more
...Just stick with it and it'll steer you in the right direction! Huge recommendation for anyone getting into Python or coding for the first time....Read more
...and exercises are really thought out well, and they develop your Python skills at a steady pace. I would recommend this book for everyone.Read more
Helped me improve my skills as a python programmer! I would greatly recommend this book to anyone who is a newbie at programming.Read more
6 customers mention concise, 5 positive, 1 negative
Customers find the book concise.
...There are more efficient ways to learn Python. In general, short, concise, explicit exemplars are more effective than the long example of a game...Read more
...one of the better Python books I have read, its well paced and clear in it's wording. I bought it on the kindle ....Read more
...Well written, clear and concise. Just enough information to assist in learning, but not too much to overload you....Read more
Concise with many simple examples for serious python learningRead more
Great for everyone to learn! Pros and Cons
5 out of 5 stars
Great for everyone to learn! Pros and Cons
Brilliant! Here's what I thought: Pros: -Suitable for all ages -Easy tutorial to download software (multiple options available, most are free!) -All code explained clearly -Good consolidation of knowledge by assigning tasks -Good challenging level - pushes you to become a good programmer -Plenty to things to learn as the book is detailed -Quite fun too! Cons: -At times the code can become quite difficult despite the book's explanation - a lot of resilience and problem-solving is required -This book is purely self-learning which brings its own setbacks as there is not many places to look for help. Having said that, self-learning is a great skill to learn and this book develops it greatly. Overall, this was a good buy and I would definitely recommend it for anyone wishing to learn Python from scratch.
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Top reviews from the United Kingdom

  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Great for everyone to learn! Pros and Cons
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 August 2024
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    Brilliant! Here's what I thought:

    Pros:

    -Suitable for all ages

    -Easy tutorial to download software (multiple options available, most are free!)

    -All code explained clearly

    -Good consolidation of knowledge by assigning tasks

    -Good challenging level - pushes you to become a good programmer

    -Plenty to things to learn as the book is detailed

    -Quite fun too!

    Cons:

    -At times the code can become quite difficult despite the book's explanation - a lot of resilience and problem-solving is required

    -This book is purely self-learning which brings its own setbacks as there is not many places to look for help. Having said that, self-learning is a great skill to learn and this book develops it greatly.

    Overall, this was a good buy and I would definitely recommend it for anyone wishing to learn Python from scratch.

    Great for everyone to learn! Pros and Cons
    5 out of 5 stars
    Great for everyone to learn! Pros and Cons
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 August 2024

    Brilliant! Here's what I thought:

    Pros:

    -Suitable for all ages

    -Easy tutorial to download software (multiple options available, most are free!)

    -All code explained clearly

    -Good consolidation of knowledge by assigning tasks

    -Good challenging level - pushes you to become a good programmer

    -Plenty to things to learn as the book is detailed

    -Quite fun too!

    Cons:

    -At times the code can become quite difficult despite the book's explanation - a lot of resilience and problem-solving is required

    -This book is purely self-learning which brings its own setbacks as there is not many places to look for help. Having said that, self-learning is a great skill to learn and this book develops it greatly.

    Overall, this was a good buy and I would definitely recommend it for anyone wishing to learn Python from scratch.

    One person found this helpful
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Very good book indeed.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 June 2022
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    This is well written, presents the information in an easily readable and comprehensible style, and covers a range of material that is broad enough to provide a good foundation to start tackling practical tasks. As with any book aimed at this level, it will bring the user (you need to do the coding of course, and not just read the words) to a fair level of independent capability, so that with a mindset of being willing to carry on working out how you do things with Python, you would be ready to build your experience without too much of a struggle. I recommend this book highly.

    2 people found this helpful
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
    Useful - still on the early pages
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 June 2022
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    Still getting into Python - using several online sources and books.

    This one needs work to get into the subject.

    Found flowcharting the problem to get a clear solution - then concentrating on the code works well. This approach is not well presented in the sources I am using

    Also found that if you step back and look at the code - there are sequences, decision points, loops and subroutines. This helps to get the code layout - indents sorted

    Onward!

    Update. Starting to appreciate the work done to produce this book. Into the first Game Project. Used link to the resources at nostarch Internet site . Slow going - a good experience. Onward!

    2 people found this helpful
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Concise with many simple examples for serious python learning
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 May 2022
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    I like the format (specific lines given numbers so detailed explanations of each part can be explained clearly and simply ) and the no nonsense dive into each aspect is in useful. Not only does it give you lots of examples and exercises to do at every stage but (I'm only 50% through it yet) the examples also include typical mistakes so you learn what to look out for. Which is invaluable to a python programmer just starting out.

    It will be a valauble reference. All too often I've found texts and videos either throw you in the deep end expecting you'll figure it out or keep you forever in the paddling pool. The book itself is a nice size and good quality print. I'll definitely be checking out other books in the series.

    5 people found this helpful
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Steady pace with lots of worked examples, a beginner to programming could start with this.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 August 2020
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    This could be used by a complete beginner to coding, in which case it's worth working carefully through all the examples. It holds your hand as you work through the basics. It then moves on to projects, data visualisation, and web applications. If you have some programming experience you might feel able to skip bits. You will really want to use a text editor like Sublime. Theoretically this is is free but constant reminders will drive you nuts so you will end up spending £50 buying it (but it IS excellent).

    You will need a Pritt Stick as the binding keeps coming off, but I can live with that. In any case you would not want to invest in a fancy hard back binding for a book that in the nature of things will become obsolete in three to four years.

    3 people found this helpful
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Good explanations and I like the projects
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 January 2023
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    I develop in Java and NodeJS at work, but I decided to learn Python for my own use. I find learning from books faster than video courses and gives me a deeper understanding. This book has introductory chapters suitable for a complete novice and then some projects. I lightly read through the initial chapters, but for me, this was just a case of understanding syntax that differs from Java and JS, so I didn't do all the exercises. I'm now on to the projects, for which I am actually coding along with the book. I'm finding it quite fun and the syntax is becoming familiar now.

    It's quite difficult to write a book that is suitable for novices and those who are transferring from other languages. So far I have been pleased with the content.

    4 people found this helpful
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    More suitable for beginners
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2020
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    I've mainly purchased this book to have a good source in details but it's more suitable for beginners. I haven't experienced any problems about the print quality, unlike other comments I'm very happy that there isn't any coloured text or black background code snippets. I found more beneficial to take your own notes or highlight manually the parts you had practised. It's easier to look back and find your notes on the book. Otherwise it's not different than reading people's snippets on stackoverflow. Paper quality is good. Nothing to complain but I wish I had chance have a sneak peek to know the level of information. If you just started to learn python this book is great for you. But if you already finished a beginner python course or watch CS50 week 6 on YouTube, you don't need this book for learning. But you can benefit the projects part. I also purchased O'Reilly python cookbook from Amazon and if you need advanced information to solve complex problems you should check them too.

    15 people found this helpful
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Brilliant, well-written and practical
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2024
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    I bought a copy of this for my son who was just starting a Python module at Uni. as part of an economics degree, so not a programmer. It's both a programming book and a Python book and it does the basics very well before moving onto three or four well-worked through practical projects. Highly recommended.

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Top reviews from other countries

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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Absolutely fantastic!
    Reviewed in Germany on 26 August 2019
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    A huuuuuuge compliment to the author of this book! I have never seen such a great book when it comes to teaching programming languages. It starts with simple things like printing something onto the screen, then tells you about variables, comparisons, lists, for-loops, conditions and so on, always building up on the simple things. Each and every concept is shown in small programm snippets that are first shown as programm listing, then explained in detail, and then the output is shown. What I REALLY like about the didactics in this book is that the author also shows common errors when using the commands/methods he just showed us, how to spot those errors, how to provoke them to understand what is going on and how to correct them. He also now and then encourages the reader to think about projects he might want to do later on. I downloaded a Python editor onto my cellphone and test things as I read them. It's real fun to learn Python this way!

    Absolutely fantastic!
    5 out of 5 stars
    Absolutely fantastic!
    Reviewed in Germany on 26 August 2019

    A huuuuuuge compliment to the author of this book! I have never seen such a great book when it comes to teaching programming languages. It starts with simple things like printing something onto the screen, then tells you about variables, comparisons, lists, for-loops, conditions and so on, always building up on the simple things. Each and every concept is shown in small programm snippets that are first shown as programm listing, then explained in detail, and then the output is shown. What I REALLY like about the didactics in this book is that the author also shows common errors when using the commands/methods he just showed us, how to spot those errors, how to provoke them to understand what is going on and how to correct them. He also now and then encourages the reader to think about projects he might want to do later on. I downloaded a Python editor onto my cellphone and test things as I read them. It's real fun to learn Python this way!

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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Best one
    Reviewed in India on 2 July 2025
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    Here is the book for beginners that'll get you A to Z in Python. Best reference book out there.

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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Bem vindo ao Python!
    Reviewed in Brazil on 9 October 2021
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    Ótima porta de entrada, e referência de consulta permanente às estruturas básicas da linguagem. Não que seja perfeito, mas

    é no mínimo excelente, e isso não é pouco! Parabéns ao autor, de verdade. Me diverti bastante aprendendo a essência do Python com esse livro, ao longo de alguns meses. Não acredito que alguém se arrependa do investimento. Vá com calma e sem pressa, aprendendo no seu ritmo e voltando sempre que necessário. E mantenha ele por perto sempre! Adoraria encontrar um livro desses pra C++, ou que o autor escrevesse um livro desses pra C++, mas isso é utópico, pois o C++ é o contrasenso do Python, kkkkk...

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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Great book!
    Reviewed in Singapore on 11 January 2022
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    Totally nice and perfect. I bought this as a gift for my son who’s contemplating if programming could be his liking before venturing university.

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  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Excelente contenido
    Reviewed in Mexico on 23 December 2020
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    El libro está muy bien escrito y no utiliza una terminología demasiado compleja ni un lenguaje muy técnico; todos los conceptos técnicos que se utilizan con frecuencia en el libro son explicados previamente.

    A pesar de que el libro está escrito en inglés, logré entender perfectamente la información que el autor trataba de transmitir, debido a que el libro tiene una sintaxis muy clara y fácil de seguir. Definitivamente el mejor libro de Python para principiantes que encontrarás.

    El contenido es excelente, pero creo que podrían mejorar el pegamento que une a las páginas de la carcasa. Recomiendo a este libro a cualquier persona que quiera adentrarse al mundo de la programación en Python, explica una gran cantidad de funciones y métodos útiles, por lo que incluso si este no es tu primer lenguaje, encontrarás información que te será de bastante utilidad.

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