23 Best Books on Python

Python is an interpreted high-level general-purpose programming language. It is used in web development, data science, creating software prototypes, etc. Python has become the most popular programming language in the world and is very versatile. It is not only one of the most popular programming languages, but it is also one of the easiest to learn. If you want to learn Python, then you should definitely check out some of the best Python books for beginners and experts.

We recommend “Learning Python” by Mark Lutz as the best Python book for beginners. This book is well written and easy to follow. If you’re already familiar with basic Python programming, “Fluent Python” by Luciano Ramalho is the best Python book for Intermediate programmers. This book covers more advanced topics like object-oriented programming and design patterns.

Finally, PythonCookbook by David Beazley and Brian K. Jones is full of recipes for common tasks in Python. It’s an excellent resource if you need help with a specific problem or want to learn about new features in the Python language.

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the best Python books for both beginners and advanced programmers. We have done an unbiased review of them as well as added links to the Amazon website to directly purchase them. If permissible, you can also download the free PDF books on Python below.

  1. Best Python Books for Beginners
  2. Best Python Books for Advanced Programmers
  3. Python Programming Books for Beginners and Experts
  4. Popular Python Programming Books
  5. Python Programming Resources
  6. Frequently Asked Questions on Python Books
  7. Additional Recommendations

1. Best Python Books for Beginners

For Beginners, we recommend “Learning Python” by Mark Lutz. This book is a great introduction to the language and it will teach you the basics of programming in Python. Another good Python Book for beginners is “Head First Programming” by Paul Barry and David Griffiths. This book covers the same material as “Learning Python”, but it does so in a more concise and straightforward manner. Here are some of the best Python books for beginners.


 
1."Learning Python" by Mark Lutz
Learning Python by Mark Lutz is a comprehensive guide to the Python language. It covers all the important concepts in depth and is a great resource for beginners. This book covers the basics of Python programming, including data types, operators, flow control, and functions. It also includes a tutorial on using the Python standard library. If you want to start studying Python, Learning Python is one of the best books for beginners. Other advanced topics like objects, decorators, descriptors, metaclasses, and Unicode processing are also included in this book. This book also contains quizzes, exercises, and illustrations for better understanding.
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2."Head First Programming" by Paul Barry and David Griffiths
Head First Programming is a best book to learn python programming for computer science students and people who want to learn. This book contains elaborate information on topics like variables, decisions, loops, functions, and objects. Chapter containing information on reusing code with functions, using library code to save time and effort, sharing data with other programs and many more are included in this book. Paul Barry and David Griffiths also provided numerous examples and exercises to help students understand the material better.

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3."Python Programming: A Complete Guide For Beginners To Master And Become An Expert" by Brian Draper
Brian Draper Python Programming book is a complete guide for beginners to master and become an expert after completing the book. This book contains elaborate explanations on topics like statements, indentation, comments and many more. This Python Programming book also addresses functions, loop statements, objects and classes. Other topics like file handling operations, modules, tuples, lists and dictionaries are also included in this book.

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4."Python: Python Programming For Beginners" by Adam Stark
Python Programming For Beginners by Adam Stark is a book that provides a solid grounding in Python, and helps you be ready to enter the real world of power programming. This object-oriented programming language is highly interactive and perfect for beginners. Adam Stark explains clearly how python is a comprehensive, portable, and extendable language that offers top-notch GUI (Graphic User Interface) programming. Chock full of examples, explanations, exercises, and solutions, this book gives you everything you need to get a good head start on your Python education!
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5."Beginning Programming with Python for Dummies" by John Paul Mueller
“Beginning Programming with Python for Dummies” Book Review: The book is for beginners started using python as well as for experts. This book is a guide to dynamic and powerful programming languages. It provides basic programming concepts and helps familiarize with syntax and logic. It explains the uses of python in data analysis and other applications.

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6."Python Programming: Your Step By Step Guide To Easily Learn Python in 7 Days" by iCode Academy
“Python Programming: Your Step By Step Guide To Easily Learn Python in 7 Days” by iCode Academy book has all the materials that one needs in learning basic Python Programming. Concepts explained are easy to understand format – much of the technical terms were eliminated, although there are few technical terms that one will likely encounter when creating your codes. The Python Programming book contains samples and explanations are also presented.
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7."Think Python: How to Think Like a Computer Scientist" by Allen B Downey
Think Python textbook starts with the basics like syntax and semantics and then moves to concepts like values, variables, statements, functions, data structures, files and databases. Allen B Downey also explains object, methods OOPs, debugging for errors and exploration about the interface and GUI. The book has a large number of exercises in every chapter. This Python book can be used by high school or college level, self-learners, home-schooled students, and professionals who need to learn programming basics in Python 3.

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2. Advanced Python Programming Books


 
1."Python Crash Course: A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction to Programming" by Eric Matthes
Python Crash Course is a book for people who are new to programming as well as advanced programmers. This is a quick, hands-on introduction to the basics of computer programs in Python. In the first half of the book, Eric Matthes covered basic topics such as lists, dictionaries, classes, and loops are elaborately explained. Each chapter also contains exercises for better understanding. In the second half of the book, Matthes explains the hands-on projects like space invader-inspired arcade game, data visualizations, and a deployable web app are included in this Python book.

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2."Programming Python" by Mark Lutz and O'Reilly Media
Programming Python is a book written by Mark Lutz and O’Reilly Media for computer science students and people interested in learning python. This is another best book for advanced Python programmers who want to learn about modern Python development tools. This book contains in-depth tutorials on primary application domains like system administration, GUIs, and the web. Many commonly used tools and libraries are elaborately explained in this Python book. Chapters that provide information on language syntax and programming techniques are also included in this book. Mark Lutz also solved and explained many code examples for better understanding.

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3."Python Testing Cookbook" by Greg L Turnquist
The Python Testing Cookbook is a perfect book for experienced programmers who want to expand their knowledge and learn new techniques. Greg L Turnquist book on Python Cookbook is written for computer science students and people interested in learning python. This book contains step-by-step directions that help the reader install or build python test tools to solve different problems. Each recipe provides clear explanations about the working methods and answers common questions. This book provides information on many basic and advanced topics of python.

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4."Python Machine Learning by Example" by (Hayden) Liu and Yuxi
“Python Machine Learning by Example” Book Review: The book consists of fundamentals of machine learning and building intelligent applications. It introduces machine learning and python language. It contains all important concepts like exploratory data analysis, data processing, feature extraction and data visualization. It also includes various easy-to-follow examples and step-by-step illustrations.

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5."Python Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science" by John Zelle
“Python Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science” by John Zelle is designed to be used as a primary textbook by beginners. The core skills of computer science ideas are illustrated using a non-traditional language, namely Python.
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6."Dive Into Python" by Mark Pilgrim
Mark Pilgrim’s Dive Into Python 3 is a hands-on guide to Python 3 and its differences from Python 2. As in the original book, Dive Into Python, each chapter starts with a real, complete code sample, proceeds to pick it apart and explain the pieces, and then puts it all back together in a summary at the end. Example programs were completely rewritten to illustrate powerful new concepts now available in Python 3: sets, iterators, generators, closures, comprehensions, and much more.
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3. Python Programming Books for Beginners and Experts

Python has been gaining popularity in the programming world for its ease of use and readability. If you’re looking to learn Python, or improve your existing Python skills, check out our list of the best Python books for beginners and advanced programmers.


 
1."Python Programming: A Complete Guide for Beginners to Master, Python Programming Language" by Brian Draper
“Python Programming: A Complete Guide for Beginners to Master, Python Programming Language” Book Review: The book is designed for beginners and interested in python programming. It covers all the basic concepts and advanced level concepts with examples and explanations. The book consists of topics like python statements, using loop statements in python and python functions.

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2."Python: Programming For Beginners: Learn The Fundamentals of Python in 7 Days" by Michael Knapp and Python Programming
“Python: Programming For Beginners: Learn The Fundamentals of Python in 7 Days” Book Review: The book is basically for beginners of python programming. This book contains high-level programming scripting language. It is also helpful in use for non-scripting contexts.

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3."Python Natural Language Processing" by Jalaj Thanaki
Python Natural Language Processing is a best reference books that covers the fundamentalss of getting the environment ready for natural language processing. Jalaj Thanaki explains the power of machine learning and in-depth learning. It focuses on python programming paradigms, understand corpus analysis and identify deep learning techniques for natural language processing.

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4."Python Programming for Beginners: Python Programming Language Tutorial" by Joseph Joyner
“Python Programming for Beginners: Python Programming Language Tutorial” Book Review: The book is basically for beginners of python programming. This book contains high-level programming scripting language. It is also helpful in use for non-scripting contexts.

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5."Mastering Natural Language Processing with Python" by Deepti Chopra and Nisheeth Joshi
“Mastering Natural Language Processing with Python” Book Review: The book provides a seamless understanding of machine learning. It will be helpful in creating NLP projects using NLTK. It will teach applications of machine learning in real-world with examples. Eac and every topic is detailed thoroughly.

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6."Data Structure and Algorithmic Thinking with Python" by Narasimha Karumanchi
“Data Structure and Algorithmic Thinking with Python” Book Review: This book is designed for programmers, job finders and students preparing for exams. The book is a guide to provide solutions for complex problems in data structures and algorithms. It is focused on application and practical approach.

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7."Python Programming: Using Problem Solving Approach" by Reema Thareja
“Python Programming: Using Problem Solving Approach” Book Review: The book is aimed at undergraduate students of python programming. It helps students in applying python programming concepts in solving real-world problems. It consists of important constructs of python language such as control statements, functions, strings and data structures.

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8."Python Pocket Reference 5ed (Pocket Reference (O'Reilly))" by Mark Lutz
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9."A Primer on Scientific Programming with Python (Texts in Computational Science and Engineering)" by Hans Petter Langtangen
“A Primer on Scientific Programming with Python (Texts in Computational Science and Engineering)” Book Review: This book provides an introduction to the computer programming of scientific applications using the high-level Python language. As well as object-oriented programming, the book discusses the procedural programming. This book will be beneficial for students, scientists and engineers.

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10."Introduction to Computing and Programming in Python" by Mark J Guzdial and Barbara Ericson
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4. Popular Python Programming Books

1. Learn Python the Hard Way Book
2. Sumita Arora Python Class 11 Book
3. Sumita Arora Python Class 12 Book
4. Computer Science with Python Class 11 Book
5. Think Python Book
6. Effective Python Book
7. Invent your Own Computer Games with Python Book
8. Elements of Programming Interviews in Python Book

You can buy these additional reference books on Python Programming from “Amazon USA” OR “Amazon India”.

5. Python Programming Resources

1. Python Programming MCQs
2. Python Programming Tests
3. Python Internship

6. Frequently Asked Questions on Python Books

1. Which is the best Python book for beginners?
“Learning Python” by Mark Lutz is the best book for begineers. It is well-written and easy to follow. This book covers the basics of Python programming, including data types, operators, flow control, and functions. Another options for beginners is “Head First Programming” by Paul Barry and David Griffiths and “Think Python” by Allen B Downey.

2. Is it possible to learn Python from a book?
Yes, you can learn Python from a book. There are many excellent books available on the market that can teach you everything you need to know about Python programming language. However, in order to become an expert in Python, you must put everything you have learned in the book into practise.

3. Which free Python book is the best?
If you are looking for a free Python book, there are many options available. Here is a list of some of the best free Python books:

  • Learning Python” by Mark Lutz: This book is aimed at beginners and intermediates who want to learn Python. It covers all the important aspects of the language in depth.
  • Python for You” by Jody Ginther: This book is ideal for people who are new to programming and want to learn Python as their first language. It takes a gentle approach and helps you gradually build up your skills.
  • Python Cookbook” by David Beazley and Brian KJones: This book is perfect for experienced Python programmers who want to expand their knowledge and learn new techniques. It covers everything from fundamental data structures to complex network programming.

4. Can I learn Python in 3 days?
No, you cannot learn Python in 3 days. It takes at least a week to get basic syntax and concepts down, and months to become proficient.

5. Is Python difficult to learn?
Python is not a difficult language to learn. In fact, it’s one of the easiest languages to learn. The reason for this is that Python is a very concise and straightforward language. There are no complicated rules to learn, and the syntax is very simple. This makes Python an excellent choice for beginners.

6. Which is the best Python book for advanced/experienced programmers?
Python Cookbook by David Beazley and Brian KJones is best book for experienced Python programmers who want to expand their knowledge and learn new techniques. Another good option for experts is “Python Crash Course” by Eric Matthes.

We have put a lot of effort into researching the best books on Python and came out with a recommended list and their reviews. If any more book needs to be added to this list, please email us. We are working on free pdf downloads for books on Python and will publish the download link here. Fill out this Python books pdf download" request form for download notification.

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Manish Bhojasia, a technology veteran with 20+ years @ Cisco & Wipro, is Founder and CTO at Sanfoundry. He lives in Bangalore, and focuses on development of Linux Kernel, SAN Technologies, Advanced C, Data Structures & Alogrithms. Stay connected with him at LinkedIn.

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