Double-tap to zoom
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
From the Publisher
Benefits of Learning "The Hard Way"
No experience required - learn through exercises
The title says it’s the hard way to learn to write code, but it’s actually not. It’s only the “hard” way because it uses a technique called instruction. Instruction is where Zed tells you to do a sequence of controlled exercises designed to build a skill through repetition. This technique works very well with beginners who know nothing and need to acquire basic skills before they can understand more complex topics. It’s used in everything from martial arts to music to even basic math and reading skills.
Video screen casts
You will have access to online video screen casts for every exercise. These videos demonstrate how the code works and, most importantly, how to break it. They are the perfect place to demonstrate many common errors by breaking the Python code on purpose and showing you how to fix it. Shaw also walks through the code using debugging and interrogation tricks and techniques. The videos are where Zed shows you how to “stop staring and ask” the code what’s wrong.
The hard way is...easier
This book instructs you in Python by slowly building and establishing skills through techniques such as practice and memorization, then applying them to increasingly difficult problems. By the end of the book you will have the tools needed to begin learning more complex programming topics. Zed likes to tell people that the book gives you your “programming black belt.” What this means is that you know the basics well enough to now start learning programming.
