Education

Here is a biased review on a selection of more than 30 textbooks and tutorials I have gone through. In the order of most recent first.

Regardless of my rating I am aware of the great effort the authors have put into their work for which I am endlessly thankful. Every previous book that a student has read makes the success of the next book more certain.

The Linux Command Line, 2nd Edition: A Complete Introduction

Author: William Shotts

80%

Theory volume

80%

Theory presentation

65%

Practical exercises

Overall: excellent

Make Linux your home.

You will not be a bash scripts Guru after going through the book. But it will be hard from keeping you to switch to Linux on your home station for good.

Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, 2nd Edition: Practical Programming for Total Beginners 2nd Edition

Author: Al Sweigart

65%

Theory volume

65%

Theory presentation

100%

Practical exercises

Overall: excellent

Showcase the practical Python.

Write concrete short scripts in Python. On the bright side, there is a lot of them and you can actually use them in real life. However the scripts are very far from working with frameworks or complete projects.

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

Author: Eric Matthes

30%

Theory volume

90%

Theory presentation

65%

Practical exercises

Overall: excellent

Lights the torch.

Looking back, I realize what a small portion of Python the book covered. And I would not recommend reading the “projects” chapters on Django and Pygame. I would go straight away to the material that specializes on the subjects.
However the book is an excellent fit for someone with no experience in programming. The author “takes you by the hand” and sparkles the interest in software.

Comments

Do you have a different or the same opinion about a book? Or even better: you can recommend a learning material not listed here. Do not hesitate to share.