If you want to learn to program, or know someone who wants to try, this is the book.
Unlike most introductory books, this title takes you on two parallel journeys. The first is a structured introduction to the Python programming language. You'll learn the basics, writing functions, working with text, and how to structure larger programs.
The second path looks at the reasons why you write programs this way. Programming is far more than writing code; unless you know the underlying theory, you'll never progress beyond simple programs. This background knowledge is what differentiates a professional programmer.
You may be wondering, "why do I need this when I can just ask an LLM to write code for me?" The answer is simple: AIs have not yet reached the point where they always get it right. Sometimes the errors they make are obvious, and they can fix them. But often they'll head off into the weeds, and need someone to bring them back on track. Other times the code they create works, but the implementation is ridiculous: inefficient, overly verbose, or just plain ugly. Again, they need guidance from someone who understands the big picture.
Ands, of course, if you're going to write good prompts, it helps if you know what to ask for...
This is the book that will teach to to think like a professional programmer; it gives you both the details and the big picture. You'll write better code, both on your own and with your AI coding buddy.
Enjoy. | 
