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The Practice of Computing Using Python
For courses in Python Programming
Introduces Python programming with an emphasis on problem-solving
Now in its Third Edition, Practice of Computing Using Python continues to introduce both majors and non-majors taking CS1 courses to computational thinking using Python, with a strong emphasis on problem solving through computer science. The authors have chosen Python for its simplicity, powerful built-in data structures, advanced control constructs, and practicality. The text is built from the ground up for Python programming, rather than having been translated from Java or C++.
Focusing on data manipulation and analysis as a theme, the text allows students to work on real problems using Internet-sourced or self-generated data sets that represent their own work and interests. The authors also emphasize program development and provide both majors and non-majors with a practical foundation in programming that will be useful in their respective fields. Among other changes, the Third Edition incorporates a switch to the Anaconda distribution, the SPYDER IDE, and a focus on debugging and GUIs.
MyProgrammingLab™not included. Students, if MyProgrammingLab is a recommended/mandatory component of the course, please ask your instructor for the correct ISBN and course ID. MyProgrammingLab should only be purchased when required by an instructor. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.
MyProgrammingLab is an online learning system designed to engage students and improve results. MyProgrammingLab consists of a set of programming exercises correlated to specific Pearson CS1/Intro to Programming textbooks. Through practice exercises and immediate, personalized feedback, MyProgrammingLab improves the programming competence of beginning students who often struggle with the basic concepts of programming languages.
912 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 24, 2017
Good book for learning Python programming. Kept it at the end of the semester so I can keep using it to learn more and practice.
April 3, 2016
I used this book to teach our first semester programming course (university level), which has just changed from Java to Python. I thought the examples were very well designed, and appreciated the short subsections that made it easy for students to find relevant information and for me to assign exactly the reading each lecture needed. There are good chapters on algorithms, testing, and overall design, which helped me emphasize the proper approach to programming, which has not generally been as well supported by other textbooks.
I also like the chapter ordering in this textbook as you can teach an entire introductory course without classes. I am excited about the new edition, which allows the function chapter to be taught earlier in the semester. The dependence of the function chapter on later chapters instead of early chapters is my main complaint about this textbook, as it forces functions to the last half of the semester.
One of the main benefits of this book over other textbooks is that it shows examples in steps. Instead of showing the final product, it guides the reader through the process of developing that final product. Students are therefore able to get a better grasp of the process of solving a programming problem.
I was not a big fan of the book questions, but I rarely use book questions so it was not a problem. We used this textbook with MyProgrammingLab. I am fan of the concept of MyProgrammingLab, but it is a pain to use as it is poorly implemented and some of the questions were clearly imported from a Java book as they had no purpose in Python (mostly in relation to how Python 3 deals with variable types). Despite those issues, I still use MyProgrammingLab every semester as it gives students a way to practice programming with immediate feedback, and it decreases my grading time.
I recommend this book both for CS1 instructors to assign their students, as well as someone who wants to learn how to program on their own. I looked at dozens of Python textbooks before choosing this one for our course, and I thought it had the right level of detail for a beginner, good examples, and good ordering of information. I continue to feel that way about the book after using it for 1 semester.
I also like the chapter ordering in this textbook as you can teach an entire introductory course without classes. I am excited about the new edition, which allows the function chapter to be taught earlier in the semester. The dependence of the function chapter on later chapters instead of early chapters is my main complaint about this textbook, as it forces functions to the last half of the semester.
One of the main benefits of this book over other textbooks is that it shows examples in steps. Instead of showing the final product, it guides the reader through the process of developing that final product. Students are therefore able to get a better grasp of the process of solving a programming problem.
I was not a big fan of the book questions, but I rarely use book questions so it was not a problem. We used this textbook with MyProgrammingLab. I am fan of the concept of MyProgrammingLab, but it is a pain to use as it is poorly implemented and some of the questions were clearly imported from a Java book as they had no purpose in Python (mostly in relation to how Python 3 deals with variable types). Despite those issues, I still use MyProgrammingLab every semester as it gives students a way to practice programming with immediate feedback, and it decreases my grading time.
I recommend this book both for CS1 instructors to assign their students, as well as someone who wants to learn how to program on their own. I looked at dozens of Python textbooks before choosing this one for our course, and I thought it had the right level of detail for a beginner, good examples, and good ordering of information. I continue to feel that way about the book after using it for 1 semester.
December 14, 2013
Does a good job introducing Python and programming. Does a bad job being consistent and avoiding errors.
April 28, 2017
Neat explanation about data structures and the computing.
the examples for the the classes, try except suites and recursion were clearly explained with good amount of examples.
the examples for the the classes, try except suites and recursion were clearly explained with good amount of examples.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews