Unlocking Python - by Ryan Mitchell (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A fun and practical guide to learning Python with a special focus on data science, web scraping, and web applications

In Unlocking Python: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners, veteran software engineer, educator, and author Ryan Mitchell delivers an intuitive, engaging, and practical roadmap to Python programming. The author walks you through the vocabulary, tools, foundational knowledge, and occasional pop-culture references you'll need to hone your skills with this popular programming language.

You'll learn how to install and run Python on your own machine, get up and coding with the language quickly, and best practices for programming both independently and in the workplace. You'll also find:

• Key concepts in computer and data science explained from the ground up
• Advanced Python topics such as logging, unit testing, multiprocessing, and interacting with databases.
• Introductions to some of Python's most popular third-party libraries: Flask, Django, Scrapy, Scikit-Learn, Numpy, and Pandas
• Amusing anecdotes from the trenches of industry

Perfect for tech-savvy professionals at any stage of their careers who are interested in diving into Python programming. Unlocking Python is also a must-read for readers who work in a technical role but are interested in getting more directly involved with programming, as well as non-Python programmers who want to apply their technical skill to a new language.

From the Back Cover

A hands-on guide to learning Python from an industry-leading expert

Unlocking Python: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners is a practical roadmap to Python programming. Software engineer and author Ryan Mitchell walks you through the vocabulary, tools, concepts, and skills you'll need to succeed with Python--whether you're brand-new to programming or coming to it from another language.

After showing you the basics of programming and the tools you'll be using, Mitchell explains foundational Python concepts in an easy-to-follow way--and throws in the occasional pop culture reference and anecdote from her time in the industry to keep things interesting. Unlocking Python is an accessible and essential read for independent coders and those working with larger teams.

Unlocking Python shows you how to:

• Use foundational computer science concepts to enhance your understanding of Python and its "behind the scenes" operations
• Get up and running with code samples demonstrating Python data structures, loops, functions, classes, and more
• Read and write data with files, databases, and logs
• Learn advanced Python features including unit testing, multithreading, multiprocessing, and exception handling
• Use popular third-party HTTP libraries such as Requests, Flask, Django, and Scrapy
• Do data science and machine learning with Sci-kit Learn, Numpy, Matplotlib, and Pandas

About the Author

RYAN MITCHELL is the author of Unlocking Python (Wiley), Web Scraping with Python (O'Reilly), and multiple courses on LinkedIn Learning including Python Essential Training. She holds a master's degree in software engineering from Harvard University Extension School and has worked as principal software engineer and data scientist on the search team at the Gerson Lehrman Group for the last six years.