11 Best Python Books for Beginners (2024 Update)

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Python is the de facto language for data scientists, statisticians, machine learning experts, and web enthusiasts. There is a plethora of learning material available for Python and selection once could be difficult.

Are you interested in learning the Python language and looking for some excellent book that will help you skyrocket your Python expertise? Then you have come to the right place.

Here is a curated list of the best books to learn Python for beginners. These books are highly recommended by Python experts and are helpful for students to grasp the programming fundamentals. These resources will guide you to build your career in this promising field and make you a better Python developer.
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Best Python Programming Books for Beginner & Advanced Coders

Book Title: Author Name Latest Edition Publisher Ratings Link
Python Crash Course Eric Matthes 2nd edition No Starch Press Learn More
Python Pocket Reference Mark Lutz 5th edition O′Reilly Learn More
Python Programming John M Zelle 3rd edition Ingram short title Learn More
Python for Data Analysis Wes Mckinney 2nd edition O′Reilly Learn More
Python Cookbook David Beazley 3rd edition O’Reilly Media Learn More

1) Python Crash Course, 2nd Edition: A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction to Programming

#1 Top Pick
Python Crash Course
4.5

Author Name: Eric Matthes

Publisher: No Starch Press

Latest Edition: 2nd edition 

No of Pages: 544 pages

Python Crash Course teaches you basics python fundamental. The book is divided into two parts. The first half of this book, you’ll introduce to fundamental of python programming. Like lists, dictionaries, classes, and loops, and practice.

In the second half, you’ll assign three projects: arcade game, Space Invaders, data visualizations. This book ends by providing some basic information about how to develop simple web apps.


2) Python Pocket Reference: Python in Your Pocket

#2
Python Pocket Reference
4.5

Author Name: Mark Lutz

Publisher: O′Reilly

Latest Edition: 5th edition 

No of Pages: 266 pages

It is an ideal pocket guide for quick on job reference for Python developers. You’ll find concise, need to know information on Python types and statements, names of a special method, inbuilt functions, exceptions, and other frequently used standard library modules.

The book also covers Built-in object types, syntax, statements for creating as well as processing objects, functions, modules for structuring and reusing code. It also includes special operator overloading methods, standard library modules, and extensions important Python idioms and hints, etc.


3) Python Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science

#3
Python Programming
4.6

Author Name: John M Zelle

Publisher: Ingram short title

Latest Edition: 3rd edition

No of Pages: 552 pages

This e-book is designed to be used as a primary textbook for python course. This third edition of Python Programming keeps up the tradition of updating content with the latest in the market. It provides details about new technologies and while maintaining a time-tested approach to teach the basic concept of computer science.

It also provides easy to understand graphical examples, spanned across 4 to the 12th chapter.


4) Python for Data Analysis: Data Wrangling with Pandas, NumPy, and IPython

#4
Python for Data Analysis
4.6

Author Name: Wes Mckinney

Publisher: O′Reilly

Latest Edition: 2nd edition 

No of Pages: 522 pages

This e-book offers complete instruction for manipulating, processing, cleaning, and crunching datasets in Python. You will also find many practical case studies that show you how to solve a broad set of data analysis problems.

It is ideal to learn python program, and data analysts as the book have a practical, modern introduction to data science tools using Python. In this Python book, you will also learn the latest version of NumPy, Pandas, IPython, and Jupyter.


5) Python Cookbook: Recipes for Mastering Python 3

#5
Python Cookbook
4.5

Author Name: David Beazley

Publisher: O'Reilly

Latest Edition: 3rd edition 

No of Pages: 708 pages

Python Cookbook is an ideal book if you need help writing programs in Python 3. It also helps you to update the Python 2 code. The book is recommended for experienced Python program who wants to learn modern tools use for Python development.

Inside, this book you will find topics related to core Python language and tasks common to a wide range of application domains. It offers many code samples you can use in your along with discussion about how and why the solution works.


6) Python Data Science Handbook: Essential Tools for Working with Data

#6
Python Data Science Handbook
4.4

Author Name: Jake Vanderplas

Publisher: O′Reilly

Latest Edition: 1st edition 

No of Pages: 548 pages

A python is a popular programming language because of its libraries for storing, manipulating, and gathering insight from data. There are many resources available to learn data science. However, with the help of this book, you will get in-depth information about Pandas, IPython, NumPy, Matplotlib, and other related tools.

It is a perfect reference book for Data scientists and crunchers familiar with reading and writing Python code. This helps you to tackle day-to-day coding issues occurs in python development.


7) Learn Python the Hard Way

#7
Learn Python the Hard Way
4.2

Author Name: Shaw Zed A.

Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional

Latest Edition: 3rd edition

No of Pages: 308 pages

In this book, you’ll able to learn Python by working through 52 well-developed exercises. Corrects your coding mistakes, learn what good programs look like and how to plan them.

You will learn how to install a complete Python environment, organizing & writing code, basic mathematics, variables, looping and logic, Python packaging, automated testing. Finally, you will learn the basic game & web development using Python programming language.


8) Python Programming for Beginners

#8
Python Programming for Beginners
3.7

Author Name: Philip Robbins

Publisher: Independently published

No of Pages: 122 pages

Complete Python Guide with example is a book for those people who are scared of Python’s long and complicated code. This popular book covers complex concepts of Python and examines it in simple steps.

This e-book teaches you basic Python coding fundamentals like classes, objects, tuples, strings, etc. Moreover, the examples given in this book helps you to understand all the Python concepts in easy to understand manner.


9) Python Machine Learning: Machine Learning and Deep Learning with Python, scikit-learn, and TensorFlow

#9
Python Machine Learning
4.4

Author Name: Sebastian Raschka Vahid Mirjalili

Publisher: Ingram short title

Latest Edition: 2nd edition

No of Pages: 622 pages

Python Machine Learning offers practical techniques to develop machine learning, deep learning, and data analysis algorithms. The book updated using the latest python libraries.

This book includes TensorFlow deep learning library. The scikit-learn code given in this book is also fully updated. You will get the knowledge about the best practices that help you to improve and optimize your machine learning algorithms. At the end of the book, you’ll be able to explore new data analysis opportunities available in today’s world.


10) Natural Language Processing with Python: Analyzing Text with the Natural Language Toolkit

#10
Natural Language Processing with Python
4.4

Author Name: Steven Bird

Publisher: O′Reilly

Latest Edition: 1st edition 

No of Pages: 502 pages

In this book, you will learn the concept of natural language processing. You will also learn how to write Python programs. This also works with large collections of unstructured text. This book teaches you how to write Python programs that work with large collections of unstructured text.

This book is helpful to enhance practical skills in natural language processing using the Python programming language and the Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK) which is open source library.


11) Django for Beginners: Build websites with Python and Django

#11
Django for Beginners
4.5

Author Name: William S. Vincent

Publisher: WelcomeToCode

No of Pages: 343 pages

The book is a step-by-step guide for developing web applications with Python and Django 2.1. You will learn how to build, test, and deploy five most comprehensive websites. This includes a blog app with user accounts, Message Board app, and a Newspaper app along with reader comments.

Apart from this, this book also teaches you various features of Django and best practices around models, views, templates, user registration, testing, and deployment.

FAQ:

🏅Why Learn Python Programming?

Python programming is widely used in Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Generation, Neural Networks, and other advanced fields of Computer Science. Moreover, Python is one of the most demanded programming languages in the market, so there are huge job opportunities for candidates having knowledge of Python programming.

📚 Which book is best for learning Python?

Following are some of the best Python Books for Beginners & Advanced Programmers:

🚀Who can learn Python?

Anyone who have basic knowledge of any programming language concepts like loops, functions, etc., it will help you learn Python online easily.