7 ms·

Legally Free Python Books List

173 points by osdotsystem 6y ago

osdotsystem 6y ago
If someone has more free PyGame books or any less-known books, please post the linK!
- cpach 6y ago
  Updated 2021? :-p
  - code_scrapping 6y ago
    It's from the UTC+384h time zone.
    - BerkhanBerkdemi 6y ago
      I guess the author time travels?
      - osdotsystem 6y ago
        Updated it so that people get it ready for 2021
- sien 6y ago
  There is "Program the Classics" : https://wireframe.raspberrypi.org/books/code-the-classics1/pdf https://wireframe.raspberrypi.org/books/code-the-classics1/p... Review here : https://geektechstuff.com/2020/01/01/code-the-classics-volume-1-review-python/ https://geektechstuff.com/2020/01/01/code-the-classics-volum...
  - osdotsystem 6y ago
    Not free!
- asicsp 6y ago
  https://www.pygame.org/wiki/resources https://www.pygame.org/wiki/resources has a comprehensive collection of resources, but I think only inventwithpython is a book, which is already mentioned in the list
a3n 6y ago
For anyone learning Python, experienced or not, Python For Beginners at python.org points to tutorials and docs appropriate for either profile. These are, of course, not-a-books. https://www.python.org/about/gettingstarted/ https://www.python.org/about/gettingstarted/
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
usr1106 6y ago
Off-topic: Does the same thing exist for shell programming?
- asicsp 6y ago
  Not quite as impressive a list as OP, but I have a curated list of Linux related resources collected here [0], most of which are free. Shell related resources are mostly 'bash' [0] https://github.com/learnbyexample/scripting_course/blob/master/Linux_curated_resources.md https://github.com/learnbyexample/scripting_course/blob/mast...
- wil421 6y ago
  YouTube is a great resource but it’s not a book. Personally I like a combination of a book and YouTube tutorial. For shell/Linux stuff I like to go to YouTube first, learn a little bit, and then go to the docs.
asicsp 6y ago
Here's some more: * https://dabeaz-course.github.io/practical-python/Notes/Contents.html https://dabeaz-course.github.io/practical-python/Notes/Conte... by David Beazley --> covers foundational aspects of Python programming with an emphasis on script writing, data manipulation, and program organization * https://python-patterns.guide/ https://python-patterns.guide/ by Brandon Rhodes --> inspired from Gang of Four book * https://github.com/satwikkansal/wtfpython https://github.com/satwikkansal/wtfpython (this is more of a collection) --> Exploring and understanding Python through surprising snippets Also, my ebook Python re(gex)? covering re and regex modules is free to read online: https://learnbyexample.github.io/py_regular_expressions/ https://learnbyexample.github.io/py_regular_expressions/ (pdf/epub is paid, available via leanpub/gumroad)
- osdotsystem 6y ago
  # Marked to add
- osdotsystem 6y ago
  Added 1 2 4 and ommitted 3 as not a book. I forgot DBeazley's, BRhodes ... and discovered yours!
- tsjq 6y ago
  oh yes . David Beazley's video course on OReilly is great. I love .
sedeki 6y ago
On the topic of good Python books, I really recommend "Fluent Python". It is not free, however.
dreamer7 6y ago
Would be nice if it was segregated into beginner, intermediate and expert levels
- osdotsystem 6y ago
  Software engineering might be considered as expert, well anything beyond intro falls in intermediate/expert but nice point to single them out!
itsAWindowsSys 6y ago
I'd add this one to the list, filed under "Software Engineering": https://www.cosmicpython.com/ https://www.cosmicpython.com/ It's published in dead tree form by O'Reilly, but the authors also made it available online and gave it a CC-By-NC-ND license. Full disclosure: I haven't read this deeply, but I've skimmed it, and it looks interesting enough that I want to read it deeply.
- osdotsystem 6y ago
  # Marked to add
- osdotsystem 6y ago
  Added!
tt433 6y ago
Lutz's (not free) "Learning Python" was my first computer science book, and it holds up on repeated reads.
borepop 6y ago
I think it's true, as the blog author notes, that although is a great deal of intro python material, there is a lack of discussion of what useful stuff can be done with intermediate python skills. I've tried studying python three times now. Each time I get a little further, but also each time after a while I start to go "but what the heck can I do with this in my own life that is actually useful?" Probably it's a failure of my own imagination and/or simply a function of the fact that I work as a lawyer and so don't have any obvious examples in my head of how I'm going to use the code, but if I can't see even a potential application down the line I find it difficult to slog through the tedious work. I had originally got going in this area because I had a data-mining idea in mind, but that fell by the wayside.
- osdotsystem 6y ago
  You have to get going with a project that gets you excited. Automate the boring stuff is one such book!
  - borepop 6y ago
    Automate the Boring Stuff is one of the sources I have used. I think perhaps I just need to be patient and keep at it and trust that I will find an application for the techniques.
    - osdotsystem 6y ago
      Python has many many ways to be useful, it might just be a script. I have seen people with far less py skills than me use Python for a small Gui app or a simple script and they are very happy as it helped them. Try teaching what you know, it can make a big difference to someone and ... you will get new insights. You tried OpenSource?
- auxym 6y ago
  Since you are a lawyer: http://codingforlawyers.com/ http://codingforlawyers.com/ For example, chapter 1 discusses regex for searching (and potentially replacing) patterns in texts.
SJSque 6y ago
For what it's worth: Al Sweigart's "Automate the Boring Stuff with Python" is pretty nice, and it's a good one for lending out to colleagues who show interest in learning Python (especially those poor souls with tedious jobs...).
enriquto 6y ago
What does it mean "legally free"? What are those scary-sounding "illegally free" books? This term is not defined and it does not make any sense to me. The word "free" is already overloaded with two meanings (as in speech, as in beer), and now these people introduce confusingly the concept of "legally free".
- osdotsystem 6y ago
  Free - you don't have to pay money. Legally - to emphasize it is not pirated books, to differentiate with many articles claiming to show free books when they in reality show links to pirated materials
- HelloNurse 6y ago
  Most recent books are "illegally free" through standard piracy channels, so this effort to find out good books that can be downloaded without restrictions makes a lot of sense. It's a great community initiative.
dyukqu 6y ago
Dive Into Python 3 (by Mark Pilgrim) - https://diveintopython3.net/ https://diveintopython3.net/
- axaxs 6y ago
  Absolutely my favorite Python resource, highly recommended.

173 points by osdotsystem 6y ago

osdotsystem 6y ago

If someone has more free PyGame books or any less-known books, please post the linK!

cpach 6y ago
Updated 2021? :-p
- code_scrapping 6y ago
  It's from the UTC+384h time zone.
  - BerkhanBerkdemi 6y ago
    I guess the author time travels?
    - osdotsystem 6y ago
      Updated it so that people get it ready for 2021
sien 6y ago
There is "Program the Classics" : https://wireframe.raspberrypi.org/books/code-the-classics1/pdf https://wireframe.raspberrypi.org/books/code-the-classics1/p... Review here : https://geektechstuff.com/2020/01/01/code-the-classics-volume-1-review-python/ https://geektechstuff.com/2020/01/01/code-the-classics-volum...
- osdotsystem 6y ago
  Not free!
asicsp 6y ago
https://www.pygame.org/wiki/resources https://www.pygame.org/wiki/resources has a comprehensive collection of resources, but I think only inventwithpython is a book, which is already mentioned in the list

a3n 6y ago

For anyone learning Python, experienced or not, Python For Beginners at python.org points to tutorials and docs appropriate for either profile. These are, of course, not-a-books. https://www.python.org/about/gettingstarted/ https://www.python.org/about/gettingstarted/

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

usr1106 6y ago

Off-topic: Does the same thing exist for shell programming?

asicsp 6y ago
Not quite as impressive a list as OP, but I have a curated list of Linux related resources collected here [0], most of which are free. Shell related resources are mostly 'bash' [0] https://github.com/learnbyexample/scripting_course/blob/master/Linux_curated_resources.md https://github.com/learnbyexample/scripting_course/blob/mast...
wil421 6y ago
YouTube is a great resource but it’s not a book. Personally I like a combination of a book and YouTube tutorial. For shell/Linux stuff I like to go to YouTube first, learn a little bit, and then go to the docs.

asicsp 6y ago

Here's some more: * https://dabeaz-course.github.io/practical-python/Notes/Contents.html https://dabeaz-course.github.io/practical-python/Notes/Conte... by David Beazley --> covers foundational aspects of Python programming with an emphasis on script writing, data manipulation, and program organization * https://python-patterns.guide/ https://python-patterns.guide/ by Brandon Rhodes --> inspired from Gang of Four book * https://github.com/satwikkansal/wtfpython https://github.com/satwikkansal/wtfpython (this is more of a collection) --> Exploring and understanding Python through surprising snippets Also, my ebook Python re(gex)? covering re and regex modules is free to read online: https://learnbyexample.github.io/py_regular_expressions/ https://learnbyexample.github.io/py_regular_expressions/ (pdf/epub is paid, available via leanpub/gumroad)

osdotsystem 6y ago
# Marked to add
osdotsystem 6y ago
Added 1 2 4 and ommitted 3 as not a book. I forgot DBeazley's, BRhodes ... and discovered yours!
tsjq 6y ago
oh yes . David Beazley's video course on OReilly is great. I love .

sedeki 6y ago

On the topic of good Python books, I really recommend "Fluent Python". It is not free, however.

dreamer7 6y ago

Would be nice if it was segregated into beginner, intermediate and expert levels

osdotsystem 6y ago
Software engineering might be considered as expert, well anything beyond intro falls in intermediate/expert but nice point to single them out!

itsAWindowsSys 6y ago

I'd add this one to the list, filed under "Software Engineering": https://www.cosmicpython.com/ https://www.cosmicpython.com/ It's published in dead tree form by O'Reilly, but the authors also made it available online and gave it a CC-By-NC-ND license. Full disclosure: I haven't read this deeply, but I've skimmed it, and it looks interesting enough that I want to read it deeply.

osdotsystem 6y ago
# Marked to add
osdotsystem 6y ago
Added!

tt433 6y ago

Lutz's (not free) "Learning Python" was my first computer science book, and it holds up on repeated reads.

borepop 6y ago

I think it's true, as the blog author notes, that although is a great deal of intro python material, there is a lack of discussion of what useful stuff can be done with intermediate python skills. I've tried studying python three times now. Each time I get a little further, but also each time after a while I start to go "but what the heck can I do with this in my own life that is actually useful?" Probably it's a failure of my own imagination and/or simply a function of the fact that I work as a lawyer and so don't have any obvious examples in my head of how I'm going to use the code, but if I can't see even a potential application down the line I find it difficult to slog through the tedious work. I had originally got going in this area because I had a data-mining idea in mind, but that fell by the wayside.

osdotsystem 6y ago
You have to get going with a project that gets you excited. Automate the boring stuff is one such book!
- borepop 6y ago
  Automate the Boring Stuff is one of the sources I have used. I think perhaps I just need to be patient and keep at it and trust that I will find an application for the techniques.
  - osdotsystem 6y ago
    Python has many many ways to be useful, it might just be a script. I have seen people with far less py skills than me use Python for a small Gui app or a simple script and they are very happy as it helped them. Try teaching what you know, it can make a big difference to someone and ... you will get new insights. You tried OpenSource?
auxym 6y ago
Since you are a lawyer: http://codingforlawyers.com/ http://codingforlawyers.com/ For example, chapter 1 discusses regex for searching (and potentially replacing) patterns in texts.

SJSque 6y ago

For what it's worth: Al Sweigart's "Automate the Boring Stuff with Python" is pretty nice, and it's a good one for lending out to colleagues who show interest in learning Python (especially those poor souls with tedious jobs...).

enriquto 6y ago

What does it mean "legally free"? What are those scary-sounding "illegally free" books? This term is not defined and it does not make any sense to me. The word "free" is already overloaded with two meanings (as in speech, as in beer), and now these people introduce confusingly the concept of "legally free".

osdotsystem 6y ago
Free - you don't have to pay money. Legally - to emphasize it is not pirated books, to differentiate with many articles claiming to show free books when they in reality show links to pirated materials
HelloNurse 6y ago
Most recent books are "illegally free" through standard piracy channels, so this effort to find out good books that can be downloaded without restrictions makes a lot of sense. It's a great community initiative.

dyukqu 6y ago

Dive Into Python 3 (by Mark Pilgrim) - https://diveintopython3.net/ https://diveintopython3.net/

axaxs 6y ago
Absolutely my favorite Python resource, highly recommended.