Computers are wonderful machines. While most machines (cars, television sets, microwaves) have a specific purpose which they excel at accomplishing, computers are purposeless machines that can be taught to accomplish anything. The power to make a computer do your bidding is called “programming.”

Nowadays, in any scientific and professional endeavor, people have to deal with large volumes of data. Those who are able to leverage the power of computers to make use of such data, i.e., those who can program, are far better able to do their jobs than those who are not. In fact, it can be argued that in the very near future, those who do not possess programming skills will become unemployable. Therefore, I feel that it is necessary for anyone to acquire basic skills in this area during their education.

Being able to write computer programs not only entails knowing what specific code statements mean and do; it also entails having the ability think like a programmer, and to analyze problems from the perspective of solving them with a computer program. Such skills cannot be learned from a book, they can only be learned by actually creating programs.

This book has been designed to teach the basics of the Python 3 computer language. Students will not only learn to use the language, but also do their first practical exercises with it.

The book is not only catering towards people who are naturally inclined towards programming. It is meant to also be used by those who have no particular aptitude for programming. This is exemplified by texts which try to be extensive and foresee problems that might arise when trying to understand certain concepts.