Learn Python The Hard Way

[somabc]

Despite the title actually a very good book for beginners

 

Learn Python The Hard Way

[keithu]

Chapter 16 / Exercise 27 deserves a

Anyone who thinks that's a good way to learn logic shouldn't be teaching programming IMHO

[powdarrmonkey]

Anyone who thinks that's a good way to learn logic shouldn't be teaching programming IMHO

 

Anyone who reads that book expecting it to be easy shouldn't be learning programming IMHO.

 

I’m warning you this won’t be fun at first. It will be downright boring and tedious but this is to teach you a very

important skill you’ll need as a programmer.

 

Wasn't the title enough of a clue?

[somabc]

It is deliberately aimed at people with no programming experience.

 

The book is a very beginner book for people who want to learn to code. If you can already code then the book will probably drive you insane. It's intended for people who have no coding chops to build up their skills before starting a more detailed book.

 

If you have a better idea please propose it http://learnpythonthehardway.com/wiki?name=Proposed+Exercises

 

Before you do, really make sure you know what a beginner actually can do. Beginners cannot do any of the following:

 

Write unit tests. This involves writing code that reasons about other code. That's damn near impossible.

Do complex boolean algebra. Later chapters of the logic section could do some of this but it's better to have them use the building blocks in Exercise 27 to do actual exercises than to do tons of boolean algebra.

Use regex. Totally off limits. Whole giant books have been written on regex and still real professionals get them wrong.

Work with projects spanning multiple files.

"Computer science". This word is banished. Don't even think computer science.

Complex math. If you learned it in college math then it can't go in the book.

OOP. None of it. Don't even try.

Recursion. Again, this book is way way below most functional or OOP concepts.

[keithu]

Anyone who reads that book expecting it to be easy shouldn't be learning programming IMHO.

 

 

 

Wasn't the title enough of a clue?

 

I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to say here, but presumably you disagree with me.

 

He teaches logical operations like AND and OR, not by explaining the concept behind them, but by suggesting that we should copy their truth-tables onto postcards to carry around and spend a week memorizing them. You think that's a good idea?!

[mac_shinobi]

Chapter 16 / Exercise 27 deserves a

Anyone who thinks that's a good way to learn logic shouldn't be teaching programming IMHO

 

I can find chapter 16 ( good start I know lol ) - but where is excercise 27 ??

[keithu]

I can find chapter 16 ( good start I know lol ) - but where is excercise 27 ??

 

It's just been renamed as "Exercise 18 Memorizing Logic"

[powdarrmonkey]

He teaches logical operations like AND and OR, not by explaining the concept behind them, but by suggesting that we should copy their truth-tables onto postcards to carry around and spend a week memorizing them. You think that's a good idea?!

 

'And' and 'Or' are normal words in everyday conversation, their concept is common knowledge*. Learning the truth tables, however, is like learning your times tables - you have to do it by rote, and it's really boring, but at the end of it you can glance at a sum and know what the result is going to be. Logic tables are the same and just as important.

 

* of course, XOR is an exception and hurts a lot of people when they first encounter it, and this does need explaining in more detail than the other two.

Edited April 29, 2010 by powdarrmonkey
speeeeling

[somabc]

All they need to do is look at these Venn diagrams of the sixteen binary operations in Boolean algebra.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Logical_connectives_Hasse_diagram.svg/1000px-Logical_connectives_Hasse_diagram.svg.pngg

[jeverington]

I have always used The Non Programmers Guide to Python

 

Its as good!