I really like Think Python Second Edition by Allen B. Downey. The book can be downloaded as a CC BY-NC licensed PDF from https://greenteapress.com/wp/think-python-2e/ Downey also has books about other languages, including Java and Perl 6, which are also CC licensed and free to download.
One of my other favorite Python books is Zed Shaw's Learn Python 3 the Hard Way and its sequel, Learn More Python 3 the Hard Way. These books are basically structured versions of the "jump in and swim" method that Greg Pittman mentioned. You learn by figure out what is going on by experimenting and figuring out what is going on with each new concept that is introduced. Learn Python 3 the Hard Way and similar books/courses about other languages are available from https://learncodethehardway.org/
Thanks for catching that. I completely botched an attempt to change "five decades" into "half a century" when I was revising this article. It has now been fixed.
I really like Think Python Second Edition by Allen B. Downey. The book can be downloaded as a CC BY-NC licensed PDF from https://greenteapress.com/wp/think-python-2e/ Downey also has books about other languages, including Java and Perl 6, which are also CC licensed and free to download.
One of my other favorite Python books is Zed Shaw's Learn Python 3 the Hard Way and its sequel, Learn More Python 3 the Hard Way. These books are basically structured versions of the "jump in and swim" method that Greg Pittman mentioned. You learn by figure out what is going on by experimenting and figuring out what is going on with each new concept that is introduced. Learn Python 3 the Hard Way and similar books/courses about other languages are available from https://learncodethehardway.org/