A no-nonsense introduction to software design using the Python programming language. Written for people with no programming experience, this book starts with the most basic concepts and gradually adds new material. Some of the ideas students find most challenging, like recursion and object-oriented programming, are divided into a sequence of smaller steps and introduced over the course of several chapters. The focus is on the programming process, with special emphasis on debugging. The book includes a wide range of exercises, from short examples to substantial projects, so that students have ample opportunity to practise each new concept. Exercise solutions and code examples are available from thinkpython.com, along with Swampy, a suite of Python programs that is used in some of the exercises.

'I liked this book. The presentation is neat and clean, I might even say cheerful. And I learned a lot, not least of all where higher level languages are going, and the terminology used to express that … I liked the pace of presentation. I liked the constant stirring of topics: a new feature, a hint on debugging, a few words on programming style, some thoughts on programming principles, then on to the next new feature. It really is a nice mix.'

Source: Scientific Programming

'… explains concepts in clear, readable prose; contains helpful illustrations; and integrates activities to engage its readers.'

Source: Computing in Science and Engineering