Last updated Dec. 16, 2025

These books are carefully selected to guide you from your first line of Python code to practical, real-world projects. They focus on clear explanations, hands-on exercises, and building a strong programming foundation for total beginners.

Penguin Random House Python Crash Course

Practical & hands-on

Python Crash Course is a fast-paced, thorough introduction to programming with Python that will have you writing programs, solving problems, and m…

Automate the Boring Stuff with Python: Practical Programming for Total Beginners

Best for total beginners

If you've ever spent hours renaming files or updating hundreds of spreadsheet cells, you know how tedious tasks like these can be. But what if you…

Learning Python

Comprehensive reference

Portable, powerful, and a breeze to use, Python is the popular open source object-oriented programming language used for both standalone programs …

Head First Python: A Brain-Friendly Guide

Author: Paul Barry
Visual & beginner-friendly

Ever wished you could learn Python from a book? Head First Python is a complete learning experience for Python that helps you learn the language t…

Python for Everybody: Exploring Data in Python 3

Data-focused approach

Python for Everybody is designed to introduce students to programming and software development through the lens of exploring data. You can think o…

Python Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science

Author: John Zelle
CS fundamentals

This book is designed to be used as the primary textbook in a college-level first course in computing. It takes a fairly traditional approach, emp…

Think Python

Clear & concise

Post Press, Pub Date :2013-08-01 328 People Post Press " think like a computer scientist like Python" like a computer scientist by training reader…

A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript: The new approach that uses technology to cut your effort in half

Author: Mark Myers
Interactive learning style

Learn JavaScript with half the effort, aided by technology. Master each chapter with free interactive exercises online. Live simulation lets you s…

Python for Kids: A Playful Introduction to Programming

Playful & engaging

Python for Kids is a lighthearted introduction to the Python language and programming in general, complete with illustrations and kid-friendly exa…

The Self-Taught Programmer: The Definitive Guide to Programming Professionally

Professional roadmap

I am a self-taught programmer. After a year of self-study, I learned to program well enough to land a job as a software engineer II at eBay. Once …

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