Master Python Fundamentals by Benjamin Bennett Alexander
The author generously supplied a free copy for me to read and learn from in exchange for a review.
Master Python Fundamentals starts with a short introduction covering why one should learn Python, how to install it, and recommendations on which IDE/text editor to use. This is also where we get to code our first Python program.
The book is then divided into 15 chapters covering syntax and variables, data types, operators, Pythonic Math, user input, Python functions, Lambda functions, conditional statements, for loops, while loops, error handling, classes, file handling, modules and Pip, before finishing up with time and date.
Each chapter ends with a challenge section, but there are also more than 300 practice questions to tackle in addition. Answers to both the chapter challenges and the practice questions are found at the end of the book, which is very helpful when you’ve took a wrong turn somewhere and need a little help.
I am a self-taught beginner and thus have not made it through the entire book yet, but so far the writing is clear, succinct, and has code snippets explaining each concept.
My previous attempts at learning Python have never seemed to stick, and even though I’m only at chapter 3, I’m feeling much more confident in the knowledge I’ve gained. I’ve finally understood some previously barely-grasped concepts, and learnt some completely new things already. I like the logical (to me) progression of concepts, and when I have to flip back to previous chapters for reminders; the information I need is easy to find in the clear, concise explanations. As I learn better by doing rather than reading, I also really love the amount of practice questions.
All in all, I found Master Python Fundamentals to be a well-written book on learning the Python language, and definitely a book I’ll be learning from and referencing a lot! ★★★★★