Fast Lane to Python: A Quick, Sensible Route to the Joys of Python Coding by Norm Matloff

This book aims to enable the reader to quickly acquire a Python foundation. The material particularly feel quite comfortable to anyone with background in an object-oriented programming (OOP) language such as C++ or Java. Even if ones lack this background, they will still be able to read these sections, but will probably need to go through them more slowly than those who do know OOP. Some Linux knowledge would also be helpful, but it certainly is not required. Python is used on Windows and Macintosh platforms too, not just Linux. So, most statements here made for the Linux context will also apply to Macs as well. The author acknowledged that programming is a personal, creative activity, so everyone has his/her own view.