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Learning Python: Powerful Object-Oriented Programming
Get a comprehensive, in-depth introduction to the core Python language with this hands-on book. Based on author Mark Lutz's popular training course, this updated sixth edition will help you quickly write efficient, high-quality code with Python. It's an ideal way to begin, whether you're new to programming or a professional developer versed in other languages.
Complete with quizzes, exercises, and helpful illustrations, this easy-to-follow self-paced tutorial gets you started with Python 3.12 and all other releases in use today. With a pragmatic focus on what you need to know, it also introduces some advanced language features that have become increasingly common in Python code.
This book helps
Explore Python's built-in object types such as strings, lists, dictionaries, and files
Create and process objects with Python statements, and learn Python's syntax model
Use functions and functional programming to avoid redundancy and maximize reuse
Organize code into larger components with modules and packages
Code robust programs with Python's exception handling and development tools
Apply object-oriented programming and classes to make code customizable
Survey advanced Python tools including decorators, descriptors, and metaclasses
Write idiomatic Python code that runs portably across a wide variety of platforms
Complete with quizzes, exercises, and helpful illustrations, this easy-to-follow self-paced tutorial gets you started with Python 3.12 and all other releases in use today. With a pragmatic focus on what you need to know, it also introduces some advanced language features that have become increasingly common in Python code.
This book helps
Explore Python's built-in object types such as strings, lists, dictionaries, and files
Create and process objects with Python statements, and learn Python's syntax model
Use functions and functional programming to avoid redundancy and maximize reuse
Organize code into larger components with modules and packages
Code robust programs with Python's exception handling and development tools
Apply object-oriented programming and classes to make code customizable
Survey advanced Python tools including decorators, descriptors, and metaclasses
Write idiomatic Python code that runs portably across a wide variety of platforms
2562 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 24, 2013
1345 people are currently reading
4703 people want to read
About the author
Mark Lutz
20 books59 followersMark Lutz is the world leader in Python training, the author of Python's earliest and best-selling texts, and a pioneering figure in the Python community.
Mark is the author of the popular O'Reilly books Programming Python, Python Pocket Reference, and Learning Python, all currently in 4th Editions. He has been using and promoting Python since 1992, started writing Python books in 1995, and began teaching Python classes in 1997. As of mid 2010, Mark has instructed some 250 Python training sessions, taught some 4,000 students, and written Python books which have sold roughly a quarter of a million copies and been translated to over a dozen languages.
Together, his Python efforts since 1992 have helped to establish it as one of the most widely-used programming languages in the world today. In addition, Mark holds BS and MS degrees in computer science from the University of Wisconsin where he explored implementations of the Prolog language, and over the last 25 years has worked as a professional software developer on compilers, programming tools, scripting applications, and assorted client/server systems.
Mark maintains an additional book support site on the web at www.rmi.net/~lutz.
Mark is the author of the popular O'Reilly books Programming Python, Python Pocket Reference, and Learning Python, all currently in 4th Editions. He has been using and promoting Python since 1992, started writing Python books in 1995, and began teaching Python classes in 1997. As of mid 2010, Mark has instructed some 250 Python training sessions, taught some 4,000 students, and written Python books which have sold roughly a quarter of a million copies and been translated to over a dozen languages.
Together, his Python efforts since 1992 have helped to establish it as one of the most widely-used programming languages in the world today. In addition, Mark holds BS and MS degrees in computer science from the University of Wisconsin where he explored implementations of the Prolog language, and over the last 25 years has worked as a professional software developer on compilers, programming tools, scripting applications, and assorted client/server systems.
Mark maintains an additional book support site on the web at www.rmi.net/~lutz.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
May 18, 2009
OK, this is a computer programming textbook, not typically one would review, however there are several good reasons to read this book:
1.) At the very top of the front cover, it has the words "Powerful Object-Oriented Programming," which leads to my new favorite CS acronym.
2.) The computer language is called Python, yet there's a rat on the cover. Now *that's* ballsy.
3.) The language itself isn't named after the reptile. It's named after Monty Python. Really. All the examples in the book have to do with Spam and the Spanish Inquisition.
4.) Most importantly, for those who program, this is a really, really great language. All the bookkeeping one does in a language like C is taken care of for you. Unless you need all the performance in the world, this is a great language, at the least for fast prototyping, if not production. Plus, you can actually understand the code, unlike after having written Perl.
5.) If you've looked at other computer language textbooks, this one is exceptionally clear and easy to read. It's not a Dan Brown page turner, but, hey, it's not supposed to be. It's even mildly entertaining at times.
My only complaint - wait for it - is about a command called "pickle", which I tried to use on a big file and, er, knocked out a server. It had some unfortunate memory usage "features," which aren't the fault of the textbook, but I wish it had mentioned.
1.) At the very top of the front cover, it has the words "Powerful Object-Oriented Programming," which leads to my new favorite CS acronym.
2.) The computer language is called Python, yet there's a rat on the cover. Now *that's* ballsy.
3.) The language itself isn't named after the reptile. It's named after Monty Python. Really. All the examples in the book have to do with Spam and the Spanish Inquisition.
4.) Most importantly, for those who program, this is a really, really great language. All the bookkeeping one does in a language like C is taken care of for you. Unless you need all the performance in the world, this is a great language, at the least for fast prototyping, if not production. Plus, you can actually understand the code, unlike after having written Perl.
5.) If you've looked at other computer language textbooks, this one is exceptionally clear and easy to read. It's not a Dan Brown page turner, but, hey, it's not supposed to be. It's even mildly entertaining at times.
My only complaint - wait for it - is about a command called "pickle", which I tried to use on a big file and, er, knocked out a server. It had some unfortunate memory usage "features," which aren't the fault of the textbook, but I wish it had mentioned.
October 31, 2023
- Beautiful is better than ugly.
- Explicit is better than implicit.
- Simple is better than complex.
- Complex is better than complicated.
- Flat is better than nested.
- Sparse is better than dense.
- Readability counts.
- Special cases aren't special enough to break the rules.
- Although practicality beats purity.
- Errors should never pass silently.
- Unless explicitly silenced.
- In the face of ambiguity, refuse the temptation to guess.
- There should be one -and preferably only one- obvious way to do it.
- Although that way may not be obvious at first unless you're Dutch.
- Now is better than never.
- Although never is often better than *right* now.
- If the implementation is hard to explain, it's a bad idea.
- If the implementation is easy to explain, it may be a good idea.
- Namespaces are one honking great idea -let's do more of those!
>>>
[The Zen of Python, by Tim Peters]
- Explicit is better than implicit.
- Simple is better than complex.
- Complex is better than complicated.
- Flat is better than nested.
- Sparse is better than dense.
- Readability counts.
- Special cases aren't special enough to break the rules.
- Although practicality beats purity.
- Errors should never pass silently.
- Unless explicitly silenced.
- In the face of ambiguity, refuse the temptation to guess.
- There should be one -and preferably only one- obvious way to do it.
- Although that way may not be obvious at first unless you're Dutch.
- Now is better than never.
- Although never is often better than *right* now.
- If the implementation is hard to explain, it's a bad idea.
- If the implementation is easy to explain, it may be a good idea.
- Namespaces are one honking great idea -let's do more of those!
>>>
[The Zen of Python, by Tim Peters]
April 11, 2014
Comprehensive.
Oh, yes.
Comprehensive.
Clocking in at 2109 pages, this book beats "A Suitable Boy" as the largest tome I have ever lifted that was not a reference compendium like an encyclopaedia or dictionary. No oxen were stunned in this exercise, largely because I would be unable to lift it over my head to strike a killing blow. Actually, since it was an e-book, it may have been able to stun an electric sheep, but was not quite the wrist-breaker I make it out to be, but my GOD what a slog it was.
I now feel like I know every aspect of the language and how it works. And worked in 2.7. And 2.6. And changes to 2.2. And differences between 3.0, 3.2, and 3.3. Oh, yes, and the intricacies of how the language searches for modules to load. In all those versions. Perhaps it's a symptom of the bifurcation of the language, but by the end, I began to suspect Mr. Lutz was being paid, Dickins-like, by the word and was given an unlimited contract. The book would have been about 100 pages lighter by simply removing the phrase "We'll get into that in more detail in chapter____" and the following paragraph that explains why we're not getting into it right now.
Honestly, it's the attempt to be totally comprehensive and clear at all stages of the book that lends the book its sheer size. It's not so much an exercise book as the careful construction and jotting down over an entire career of teaching python. Read quickly, it's like one of those science-fiction devices where lights flash and you suddenly understand particle physics.
Would I recommend it.
Sadly, yes.
It's like that horrible story of how Neil Gaiman called up or was called up by a friend, and told "Yes, I hate to break it to you, but À la recherche du temps perdu really does suddenly do something incredible around page 2700".
If you want to learn python, go for it. Possibly on a mountain somewhere. A mountain of coffee...
Oh, yes.
Comprehensive.
Clocking in at 2109 pages, this book beats "A Suitable Boy" as the largest tome I have ever lifted that was not a reference compendium like an encyclopaedia or dictionary. No oxen were stunned in this exercise, largely because I would be unable to lift it over my head to strike a killing blow. Actually, since it was an e-book, it may have been able to stun an electric sheep, but was not quite the wrist-breaker I make it out to be, but my GOD what a slog it was.
I now feel like I know every aspect of the language and how it works. And worked in 2.7. And 2.6. And changes to 2.2. And differences between 3.0, 3.2, and 3.3. Oh, yes, and the intricacies of how the language searches for modules to load. In all those versions. Perhaps it's a symptom of the bifurcation of the language, but by the end, I began to suspect Mr. Lutz was being paid, Dickins-like, by the word and was given an unlimited contract. The book would have been about 100 pages lighter by simply removing the phrase "We'll get into that in more detail in chapter____" and the following paragraph that explains why we're not getting into it right now.
Honestly, it's the attempt to be totally comprehensive and clear at all stages of the book that lends the book its sheer size. It's not so much an exercise book as the careful construction and jotting down over an entire career of teaching python. Read quickly, it's like one of those science-fiction devices where lights flash and you suddenly understand particle physics.
Would I recommend it.
Sadly, yes.
It's like that horrible story of how Neil Gaiman called up or was called up by a friend, and told "Yes, I hate to break it to you, but À la recherche du temps perdu really does suddenly do something incredible around page 2700".
If you want to learn python, go for it. Possibly on a mountain somewhere. A mountain of coffee...
July 1, 2015
Teaching valuable things in the most boring way.
It's best to learn coding interactively, I preferred the Learn Python The Hard Way by Zed Shaw method better.
Despite all that it's been written by Mark Lutz a pioneering figure in the Python community, this book was a must read for any Python hacker.
It's best to learn coding interactively, I preferred the Learn Python The Hard Way by Zed Shaw method better.
Despite all that it's been written by Mark Lutz a pioneering figure in the Python community, this book was a must read for any Python hacker.
June 2, 2015
I'm disappointed with the start of this book. very slow at getting to the actual python, and poorly tries tries to set a backgroung knowlegde for the reader in a shallow and rushed method.
I was not pleased to read a comment that Mark Lutz lacks the funding and resources to complete his code testing against serveral OS's, including the free Linux! and seems to focus purely on the over-priced Microsoft Windows.
I don't think this book is ideal for the new programmer who is picking Python as their first language.
Python is my first language, and luckily before I read this book, I had got a grounding else where for free (Learning Python the hard way, etc). I found that Mr.Lutz spends too much time comparing Python 3.x to Python2.x (without showing 2.x examples) and is a waste of time and confusing to a new programmer learning Python.
Mr.Lutz is terrible at introducing new concepts. You might find that you write a "for loop" within the first 200 pages, only loops haven't even been covered yet. He does this all the way through the beginning of the book, with the caveat of "we'll cover this in more detail later in the book..." leaving the reader without a full understanding of the example code they just typed in and ran. A reader should have closure before moving on to the next topic but Mr.Lutz leaves you hanging, wondering, and wanting to jump around in the book rather than taking it chapter by chapter.
All that said, if you have some basic experience with Python, you can get passed the poor style of writing, and learn plenty. It does cover a lot, and it does provide the reader with valuable experience of typing in code and seeing what it does. But this should be your 2nd or 3rd book if you are trying to build a solid foundation before moving onto more advanced books like Mr.Lutz Python Programming
I was not pleased to read a comment that Mark Lutz lacks the funding and resources to complete his code testing against serveral OS's, including the free Linux! and seems to focus purely on the over-priced Microsoft Windows.
I don't think this book is ideal for the new programmer who is picking Python as their first language.
Python is my first language, and luckily before I read this book, I had got a grounding else where for free (Learning Python the hard way, etc). I found that Mr.Lutz spends too much time comparing Python 3.x to Python2.x (without showing 2.x examples) and is a waste of time and confusing to a new programmer learning Python.
Mr.Lutz is terrible at introducing new concepts. You might find that you write a "for loop" within the first 200 pages, only loops haven't even been covered yet. He does this all the way through the beginning of the book, with the caveat of "we'll cover this in more detail later in the book..." leaving the reader without a full understanding of the example code they just typed in and ran. A reader should have closure before moving on to the next topic but Mr.Lutz leaves you hanging, wondering, and wanting to jump around in the book rather than taking it chapter by chapter.
All that said, if you have some basic experience with Python, you can get passed the poor style of writing, and learn plenty. It does cover a lot, and it does provide the reader with valuable experience of typing in code and seeing what it does. But this should be your 2nd or 3rd book if you are trying to build a solid foundation before moving onto more advanced books like Mr.Lutz Python Programming
October 28, 2015
Still reading, up to the end of the debugging chapter. Here are some thoughts:
- Very complete.
- Very repetitive.
- Not good for learners. This should be read for deeper knowledge once the basics of the language are understood. I'd never recommend this to someone as the book to use for learning Python or learning to program.
- Very repetitive.
- Too many forward references.
- Very repetitive.
- Far too few exercises. Lots of small examples are given, as well as several questions at the end of each chapter, but there really should be lots of exercises for the reader to figure out.
- The examples are *much* too simplistic. Simple examples early on are fine, but the examples have stayed much too simplistic.
- Poorly organized for learning the language.
- There are also odd choices made in the organization, with chunks combined with other semi-associated or barely associated chunks. This will make it difficult to use as a reference because it'll be hard to know where to find the pieces.
- Very repetitive.
- Much more of a language reference than a tutorial.
I am used to O'Reilly books being much, much better than this. If given the book innards alone, I'd have never guessed this was from O'Reilly.
Since I'm still reading this, I may find that some of these comments don't fit with the full book. As that happens, I'll edit this review to reflect my changed viewpoint.
----
I never finished this book due to changes in work requirements. I got into the module sections and it never got better than the above.
- Very complete.
- Very repetitive.
- Not good for learners. This should be read for deeper knowledge once the basics of the language are understood. I'd never recommend this to someone as the book to use for learning Python or learning to program.
- Very repetitive.
- Too many forward references.
- Very repetitive.
- Far too few exercises. Lots of small examples are given, as well as several questions at the end of each chapter, but there really should be lots of exercises for the reader to figure out.
- The examples are *much* too simplistic. Simple examples early on are fine, but the examples have stayed much too simplistic.
- Poorly organized for learning the language.
- There are also odd choices made in the organization, with chunks combined with other semi-associated or barely associated chunks. This will make it difficult to use as a reference because it'll be hard to know where to find the pieces.
- Very repetitive.
- Much more of a language reference than a tutorial.
I am used to O'Reilly books being much, much better than this. If given the book innards alone, I'd have never guessed this was from O'Reilly.
Since I'm still reading this, I may find that some of these comments don't fit with the full book. As that happens, I'll edit this review to reflect my changed viewpoint.
----
I never finished this book due to changes in work requirements. I got into the module sections and it never got better than the above.
February 1, 2018
Disappointing waste of time. Too long, too wordy, badly organized, lots of useless Python code printing endless amounts of word SPAM, number 42 and their variations scattered with occasional Ni! exclamations. The author has an annoying habbit of introducing a new topic and then immediately dropping it saying that it's too complicated for now to fully explain it. Unfortunately I couldn't stand more than 200 pages so I don't know if the whole book is like this. One could expect to gain some practical knowledge after having spent one's time on 200 pages but not with the Lutz's book. It's not a good book for a beginner who is anxious to write their first piece of code as soon as possible. Nor it's good for an experienced programmer who might die of boredom. I'd recommend "Dive into Python" or even online docs over "Learning Python".
May 25, 2019
Learning Python leaves a lot to be desired, at least for beginners.
In short, it's too comprehensive, it's outdated, and honestly, I found it boring.
I've had more success with learning programming via online platforms (edit for those asking: I current use this to learn the basics).
When I learn a concept and then immediately write code, it sticks much better. I'm not sure books are the best medium for learning to program anymore.
For any total beginners who just want to practice, not read a long dull reference book, I'd recommend skipping the "Learning Python" book. There are better options out there.
In short, it's too comprehensive, it's outdated, and honestly, I found it boring.
I've had more success with learning programming via online platforms (edit for those asking: I current use this to learn the basics).
When I learn a concept and then immediately write code, it sticks much better. I'm not sure books are the best medium for learning to program anymore.
For any total beginners who just want to practice, not read a long dull reference book, I'd recommend skipping the "Learning Python" book. There are better options out there.
July 31, 2013
The book does not assume you know programming or oop its very clear and you can learn allot with it.
The only problem its that for you to know all the python stuff (not talking about becoming a guru) you will need to read the entire book and that takes allot of time.
Another important point is that although the book focus is on python3 I for example program for python2.x and had no problem regarding this.
The only problem its that for you to know all the python stuff (not talking about becoming a guru) you will need to read the entire book and that takes allot of time.
Another important point is that although the book focus is on python3 I for example program for python2.x and had no problem regarding this.
July 17, 2020
Esse livro foi o melhor material de programação que já li na vida. É extremamente bem explicado e bem organizado. Muito difícil lê-lo e não se apaixonar pela linguagem.
Creio que se você está no mercado de trabalho e está correndo para aprender python, o melhor é fazer cursos em plataformas online e ir direto para prática. Mas se você já aprendeu python nesse sentido estritamente prático, acho conveniente parar um pouco e ler o livro do Lutz. Essa leitura vai sistematizar um conhecimento que você já tem e, assim, preparar você para novos saltos.
O livro é massivo - mais de 1500 páginas -, mas é possível ler relativamente rápido se você já tem um conhecimento prático prévio da linguagem. Além disso, é possível que apenas alguns capítulos sejam de interesse e tornem-se referências para finalidades específicas (como aprendi OOp por esse livro, sempre retorno nele para esse assunto)
O Lutz tem um follow-up desse livro que ainda vou conferir.
Creio que se você está no mercado de trabalho e está correndo para aprender python, o melhor é fazer cursos em plataformas online e ir direto para prática. Mas se você já aprendeu python nesse sentido estritamente prático, acho conveniente parar um pouco e ler o livro do Lutz. Essa leitura vai sistematizar um conhecimento que você já tem e, assim, preparar você para novos saltos.
O livro é massivo - mais de 1500 páginas -, mas é possível ler relativamente rápido se você já tem um conhecimento prático prévio da linguagem. Além disso, é possível que apenas alguns capítulos sejam de interesse e tornem-se referências para finalidades específicas (como aprendi OOp por esse livro, sempre retorno nele para esse assunto)
O Lutz tem um follow-up desse livro que ainda vou conferir.
January 15, 2026
WARNING: Tried lifting this book with one hand, ended up almost fracturing it🥲
Since this is a book (textbook(?)) for beginners (a.k.a me✨), I can definitely agree that this is comprehensive starting from ground up - you can definitely see that someone took their sweet time to write this🙋🏻♀️
- Also, the information that the program is named after Monty Python, and not the snake - loved it! (all those inside jokes that we get to see/read in this textbook(?))
Anyways, gladly recommending this!
Since this is a book (textbook(?)) for beginners (a.k.a me✨), I can definitely agree that this is comprehensive starting from ground up - you can definitely see that someone took their sweet time to write this🙋🏻♀️
- Also, the information that the program is named after Monty Python, and not the snake - loved it! (all those inside jokes that we get to see/read in this textbook(?))
Anyways, gladly recommending this!
October 19, 2013
I liked that the author makes comparison to other programming languages (like C or C++), it really helped me. The book covers most of the Python knowledge required for getting starting and having some idea of what is going on. What I disliked was that the rhythm is loo slow sometimes - better for beginners but it gets boring for programmers that are familiar with other languages (especially OOP).
Currently reading
February 19, 2018At the beginning of this year, I've set several new goals. One of them is to improve my programming skills.
On a side note, I believe that this book gonna be the longest one I will read this year (1,600 pages). Let's hope that I will finish it using this book as a guide before 2019 will come lol :)
On a side note, I believe that this book gonna be the longest one I will read this year (1,600 pages). Let's hope that I will finish it using this book as a guide before 2019 will come lol :)
September 6, 2019
I had to give up on this book after suffering until page 471 because the book is EXTREMELY dry, out-of-date (published in 2013), and irrelevant for the most part. It's still on my hard drive, so maybe I'll refer to it in the future, but I doubt it. I didn't learn much from it.
April 17, 2011
A fantastic book for learning to program in Python or learning to program in general. It's lengthy, and somewhat repetitive, which helps to reenforce earlier concepts.
November 25, 2017
I've been working with python for a couple years, and this book goes through the details in an orderly fashion. Really fills in the gaps.
Read
December 26, 2019These books are great. Really easy to read and understand, but not too boring. A great foundation and/or a refresher.
September 30, 2025
This is easily one of the worst, if not the worst, CS book I've ever read.
And I've read close to 100 ones.
I'd go as far as to say that I've totally wasted my time plowing through it.
If you're a beginner, then don't you even think about it. If you're reading the book right now, just drop it. I'm serious. There are "Fluent Python," "TDD with Python," and "Grokking Algorithms." Those 3 books have approximately equal [to the LP] amount of pages, while being much more clearer, comprehensive, and practical. IMHO, they are enough to land you on your first job, while with the LP you won't be able to solve anything related to real life problems.
If you're a professional, it might make sense to read the garbage selectively. Or don't read it at all. You won't miss much.
The years have passed, I've read a lot of other books on Python specifically, but my hatred for the "Learning" Python has only increased and multiplied.
Score: 1 out of 5.
And I've read close to 100 ones.
I'd go as far as to say that I've totally wasted my time plowing through it.
If you're a beginner, then don't you even think about it. If you're reading the book right now, just drop it. I'm serious. There are "Fluent Python," "TDD with Python," and "Grokking Algorithms." Those 3 books have approximately equal [to the LP] amount of pages, while being much more clearer, comprehensive, and practical. IMHO, they are enough to land you on your first job, while with the LP you won't be able to solve anything related to real life problems.
If you're a professional, it might make sense to read the garbage selectively. Or don't read it at all. You won't miss much.
The years have passed, I've read a lot of other books on Python specifically, but my hatred for the "Learning" Python has only increased and multiplied.
Score: 1 out of 5.
November 8, 2018
A depth-first rather than breadth-first tour of the language. I learned a lot, and filled in a lot of gaps in my memory, even if the exhaustive coverage of features made me slightly dread coming back to this beast to chip away at its 1600 pages.
Still, I recommend it for learning details that might not have been learnt just by reading StackOverflow answers, because Mark Lutz does a fine job of laying out the concepts and providing examples.
Still, I recommend it for learning details that might not have been learnt just by reading StackOverflow answers, because Mark Lutz does a fine job of laying out the concepts and providing examples.
November 12, 2021
This was a great read.
I already know Python well, so I got this book for the coding examples and other fringe things I wanted to learn.
The code examples were great and I enjoyed following and playing around with them. Been pretty much coding all day.
Some great things learned. Built on some of my larger projects.
Would recommend if you want to get hands-on with Python.
4.4/5
I already know Python well, so I got this book for the coding examples and other fringe things I wanted to learn.
The code examples were great and I enjoyed following and playing around with them. Been pretty much coding all day.
Some great things learned. Built on some of my larger projects.
Would recommend if you want to get hands-on with Python.
4.4/5
September 11, 2020
Great but dry.
July 27, 2017
A book to learn Python. It fulfills its purpose, but not in the most effective way. In my opinion, because it's not well oriented.
If your new to programming: it might get reeeaaally boring, because it pays attention to many details that for beginners are absolutely not important, and might as well be learnt in a more in-depth book or by themselves, after some experience.
If you aren't new to programming: it explains lots of trivial stuff in a for-dummies way, so it wastes your time in some concepts that are not important, but if you skim through, you might as well lose some info that is. Besides, concepts are not listed in a very clear way: some are introduced in Chapter 2, but then re-introduced for Chapter 10, and finally explained in Chapter 17, and so on, so it's not a good reference for already experienced programmers who want to learn Python.
If you fall into this latter group, you might want to take a look at Python Pocket Reference
If your new to programming: it might get reeeaaally boring, because it pays attention to many details that for beginners are absolutely not important, and might as well be learnt in a more in-depth book or by themselves, after some experience.
If you aren't new to programming: it explains lots of trivial stuff in a for-dummies way, so it wastes your time in some concepts that are not important, but if you skim through, you might as well lose some info that is. Besides, concepts are not listed in a very clear way: some are introduced in Chapter 2, but then re-introduced for Chapter 10, and finally explained in Chapter 17, and so on, so it's not a good reference for already experienced programmers who want to learn Python.
If you fall into this latter group, you might want to take a look at Python Pocket Reference
February 6, 2025
This book provided an excellent foundation for my Python journey. My goal was to gain enough Python intuition to begin exploring machine learning, and this book delivered. While I didn't read the entire book (focusing on chapters 1-28 and 33), the content I covered thoroughly explained core Python concepts, from setup and program execution to object types, operations, statements, syntax, functions, modules, and classes. As someone with prior experience in Matlab and a touch of Python, I appreciated the clear and tutorial-focused approach. I now feel much more comfortable reading and understanding Python scripts, which was exactly what I needed. While the book delves into more advanced topics, I chose to focus on the essentials for my immediate needs. Highly recommended for beginners looking to build a solid Python base for machine learning or other applications.
October 8, 2017
Very good book that gives solid foundations on Python. Teaches you the basics but it is not afraid to cover some useful details of the language. Those details and the fact it covers all basic aspects of the language (and some not so basic) really makes this book very complete and stand out from simple "tutorial" books that teach you the basics of the language but don't put you on the spirit of the language. I felt like i had a good grasp on how python worked after reading it.
But also like some people already said, the book is very repetitive! Some times annoyingly so. I'm not against repetitions to set some context and then prove a new point or tell you something new, but this book seemed to have repetitions just for the sake of it, sometimes those repetitions felt like a symptom of lack of organization. But if you can tolerate that, you'll end up learning valuable things about python that simple tutorials won't teach you, and because of that this book gets my recommendation.
But also like some people already said, the book is very repetitive! Some times annoyingly so. I'm not against repetitions to set some context and then prove a new point or tell you something new, but this book seemed to have repetitions just for the sake of it, sometimes those repetitions felt like a symptom of lack of organization. But if you can tolerate that, you'll end up learning valuable things about python that simple tutorials won't teach you, and because of that this book gets my recommendation.
November 28, 2017
I'm going to move this to the Read shelf even though I'm only 2/3 of the way through.
I had already written code in Python for a while. At first, I was just going to skip around and use it as a reference. Then I realized that is not the best way to use this book.
This is an excellent book to learn about the whys and gotchas of writing sound, resilient Python code. It's too verbose to use as a reference. Use a search engine and the online Python documentation for that.
Read this book front to back, as if you are getting a tutorial from a knowledgeable programming mentor. My book is full of notes in the margins.
There are asides about how Python differs from C. It would have been nice to learn how it differs from Fortran and Perl, too. (Does that give away my age?)
I had already written code in Python for a while. At first, I was just going to skip around and use it as a reference. Then I realized that is not the best way to use this book.
This is an excellent book to learn about the whys and gotchas of writing sound, resilient Python code. It's too verbose to use as a reference. Use a search engine and the online Python documentation for that.
Read this book front to back, as if you are getting a tutorial from a knowledgeable programming mentor. My book is full of notes in the margins.
There are asides about how Python differs from C. It would have been nice to learn how it differs from Fortran and Perl, too. (Does that give away my age?)
March 24, 2015
Справочник по Питону "For Complete Dummies". На мой взгляд, книга чрезмерно затянута и полна словоблудия. Наверное, автору платят посимвольно. Если учесть, что потом еще питонщику автором предлагается к чтению "Программирование на Питоне" в двух томах (более 1600 страниц), то фраза о "низком пороге вхождения в питон и легкости его освоения" кажется вообще издевательской.
September 19, 2011
One of the best books on Python programming language. It almost covers whole python language syntax and API.
January 2, 2026
For anyone standing at the threshold of learning Python, whether an aspiring programmer or a seasoned developer adding a new language to their toolkit, Mark Lutz's Learning Python, 6th Edition is not just a book, it is the definitive roadmap. This comprehensive guide is a masterclass in clarity, depth, and practical pedagogy, solidifying its long-standing reputation as the bible for Python learners.
Lutz's approach is both thorough and methodical, building your understanding from the ground up with an unwavering focus on Python's core principles. The book excels at demystifying Python’s "batteries-included" philosophy, taking you on a logical journey from built-in object types and syntax through to functions, modules, and the nuances of object-oriented programming. What sets this edition apart is its pragmatic balance; it provides the foundational knowledge necessary to write efficient, high-quality code immediately, while also thoughtfully introducing more advanced concepts like decorators and metaclasses, preparing you for real-world, idiomatic Python.
The structure is perfectly tailored for self-paced learning. Each chapter is reinforced with quizzes, exercises, and clear illustrations that transform passive reading into an active, hands-on experience. This isn't a book you simply consume, it's a training course you participate in. The updated content for Python 3.12 ensures you are learning current best practices and tools.
Ultimately, Learning Python is an investment that pays continuous dividends. It cultivates not just knowledge, but a deep, intuitive understanding of the language's philosophy. Lutz doesn't just teach you how to write Python code; he teaches you how to think in Python. For its unparalleled depth, clarity, and practical utility, this book remains the essential first and most powerful resource for anyone committed to mastering this versatile language.
Lutz's approach is both thorough and methodical, building your understanding from the ground up with an unwavering focus on Python's core principles. The book excels at demystifying Python’s "batteries-included" philosophy, taking you on a logical journey from built-in object types and syntax through to functions, modules, and the nuances of object-oriented programming. What sets this edition apart is its pragmatic balance; it provides the foundational knowledge necessary to write efficient, high-quality code immediately, while also thoughtfully introducing more advanced concepts like decorators and metaclasses, preparing you for real-world, idiomatic Python.
The structure is perfectly tailored for self-paced learning. Each chapter is reinforced with quizzes, exercises, and clear illustrations that transform passive reading into an active, hands-on experience. This isn't a book you simply consume, it's a training course you participate in. The updated content for Python 3.12 ensures you are learning current best practices and tools.
Ultimately, Learning Python is an investment that pays continuous dividends. It cultivates not just knowledge, but a deep, intuitive understanding of the language's philosophy. Lutz doesn't just teach you how to write Python code; he teaches you how to think in Python. For its unparalleled depth, clarity, and practical utility, this book remains the essential first and most powerful resource for anyone committed to mastering this versatile language.
November 6, 2021
This is a very good book if you need a serious introduction to Python.
I am the kind of software engineer that wants more than a cookbook when dealing with programming languages and this book follows the approach I was looking for: an explanation about the fundamental concepts behind the language.
I took one star because paradoxically this thoroughness is also a bit of a negative thing for seasoned software engineers. Many times during the book I thought "Okay, okay, I get it. Move on!" Reading it got a bit tedious, but I had to move on reading because some piece of valuable information could be hidden among the stuff any professional with some experience would already know.
An edition with some pieces cut off and targeting seasoned professionals would definitely deserve 5 stars. But I understand de Economics of the choice made by the author/editor and this book is definitely recommended if you are after learning Python and learning it well.
As a closing anecdote, a few years ago I did a small code challenge in Python (using cookbook method) and I thought it went okay. Well, it did work and I revisited the code and there wasn't much i could to different, but now I know that I had no idea what I was doing and I'm even a bit ashamed of that. :-)
I am the kind of software engineer that wants more than a cookbook when dealing with programming languages and this book follows the approach I was looking for: an explanation about the fundamental concepts behind the language.
I took one star because paradoxically this thoroughness is also a bit of a negative thing for seasoned software engineers. Many times during the book I thought "Okay, okay, I get it. Move on!" Reading it got a bit tedious, but I had to move on reading because some piece of valuable information could be hidden among the stuff any professional with some experience would already know.
An edition with some pieces cut off and targeting seasoned professionals would definitely deserve 5 stars. But I understand de Economics of the choice made by the author/editor and this book is definitely recommended if you are after learning Python and learning it well.
As a closing anecdote, a few years ago I did a small code challenge in Python (using cookbook method) and I thought it went okay. Well, it did work and I revisited the code and there wasn't much i could to different, but now I know that I had no idea what I was doing and I'm even a bit ashamed of that. :-)
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