Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!news.albasani.net!eternal-september.org!feeder.eternal-september.org!newsfeed101.telia.com!starscream.dk.telia.net!news.tele.dk!news.tele.dk!small.news.tele.dk!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.053 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.89; '*S*': 0.00; 'python.': 0.02; 'python,': 0.02; 'subject:Python': 0.05; 'python': 0.09; 'abstraction': 0.09; 'coders': 0.09; 'oh,': 0.09; ';-)': 0.11; 'gui': 0.11; 'fits': 0.16; 'isbn': 0.16; 'leakage': 0.16; 'manageable': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.17; 'working.': 0.17; 'examples': 0.18; 'fairly': 0.21; '(on': 0.22; 'cheers,': 0.23; 'programming': 0.23; "haven't": 0.23; "i've": 0.23; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.25; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.26; 'language.': 0.27; 'core': 0.27; 'rest': 0.28; 'received:209.85.212': 0.28; 'received:192.168.1.3': 0.29; 'sensible': 0.29; 'though.': 0.29; 'covered': 0.29; 'starts': 0.29; "i'm": 0.29; 'books': 0.30; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.33; 'knowledge': 0.33; 'version': 0.34; "can't": 0.34; 'received:google.com': 0.34; 'needed': 0.35; 'received:209.85': 0.35; 'something': 0.35; 'there': 0.35; 'but': 0.36; 'message- id:@gmail.com': 0.36; 'useful': 0.36; 'anything': 0.36; 'too': 0.36; 'enough': 0.36; 'one,': 0.37; 'level': 0.37; 'two': 0.37; 'received:209': 0.37; 'subject:: ': 0.38; 'some': 0.38; 'things': 0.38; 'gives': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'received:192': 0.39; 'where': 0.40; 'received:192.168': 0.40; 'help': 0.40; 'range': 0.60; 'most': 0.61; 'real': 0.61; 'first': 0.61; 'ever': 0.63; 'more': 0.63; 'here': 0.65; 'finally': 0.66; 'home': 0.66; 'enjoy': 0.67; 'header:Reply-To:1': 0.68; 'reply-to:no real name:2**0': 0.72; 'hoping': 0.72; 'square': 0.75; 'reply- to:addr:gmail.com': 0.79; 'age': 0.83; 'exercise.': 0.84; 'hobbies': 0.84; 'kindle': 0.84; 'subject)': 0.84; '(mark': 0.91; 'chapters': 0.93; 'nigeria': 0.93; 'taught': 0.97 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=x-received:message-id:date:from:reply-to:user-agent:mime-version:to :subject:references:in-reply-to:content-type :content-transfer-encoding; bh=TNxxk+71EEQoGgn7HwKNUqCYEAv/YtucKK6vd440PB8=; b=azg6qgiLN4AWeiGziN6ENSrkty1SEN7wf4UvSYhtowIRddy+/6iKxKnqXQpCx5f+7g 06YUWaufitEuCVyQlWS+A+FfrgKfMBf3VFzIdAT9Imbc2mCYFQmujBYjp2VHL0vA4Xfy YW2L6gAQN8xij73QH1AKwjrXhlpmaOmeBQ3dq2Pl2E5F6YBT5LUvLKOk6Qyrn4ATrWNF VvsFAHua4debFRsot9hORrGm65OIyS3UDdBKJC8RyRJAl1NrX5gEREpKhCX6LdqiH0tF ivgRFuKNm2Z3SsyI3dcaf6ZVoNi0tI3h8SCZRroAl1H2RsyyTCyq+kPTAamy3DQmCX2b 9OGw== X-Received: by 10.180.77.9 with SMTP id o9mr3642715wiw.16.1361643051789; Sat, 23 Feb 2013 10:10:51 -0800 (PST) Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2013 19:10:48 +0100 From: Steve Simmons User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:17.0) Gecko/20130215 Thunderbird/17.0.3 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: python-list@python.org Subject: Re: Python Newbie References: <5128EF0E.40409@stoneleaf.us> <201302231232.28824.gheskett@wdtv.com> In-Reply-To: <201302231232.28824.gheskett@wdtv.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list Reply-To: square.steve@gmail.com List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 29 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1361643058 news.xs4all.nl 6877 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:33922 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:39690 On 23/02/2013 18:32, Gene Heskett wrote: > I am here because I was hoping some knowledge leakage would help me to > understand python, but at my age I am beginning to have to admit the > level of abstraction is something I may never fully grok. If I ever > find a python book that literally starts at square one, it _will_ come > home with me though. But I have too many hobbies too, I have a BP > rifle that needs a trip to the range this afternoon for some exercise. > :) Cheers, Gene I'm using Rapid GUI Programming with Python & Qt (Mark Summerfield ISBN 978-0-13-235418-9) - it fits for me because I needed something that covered GUI development but also had an intro to the language. The first 3 chapters are a Python intro at a sensible level for experienced coders (none of this 'here is the keyboard, there is the screen' nonsense) so it is enough to get you going with Python. The rest is about Qt/PyQt, taught via manageable examples and giving a fairly well thought out dialogue (monologue?) of what each line/function does. It was useful enough for me to want to carry the hardback version with me on my 'commute' from the UK to Nigeria where I am currently working. I've also got two books by Wesley Chun, (Core Python Programming & Core Python Applications Programming) on my Kindle . I can't give you a sensible verdict on those two because, while I've finally settled to reading fiction on the Kindle, I still like to have a real book when it comes to reference works (on any subject) so they haven't had the usage that Summerfield has. Oh, and you're never too old for anything but most things take longer - gives you more time to enjoy them ;-)