Top 10 Python Books for Beginners to Experienced Programmers

Want to get started with Python programming language? Each Python book in this list encapsulates real-world examples and exercises, making Python's journey engaging and accessible. Choose your learning adventure and pair these books with courses for a dynamic learning experience.

To learn Python, you have several Python courses to get started with. Python books will come in handy if you are looking for more resources to explore this programming language in-depth or just starting out. Here is a list of the top 10 Python books for all levels. 

1. Head First Python
2. Python Cookbook: Recipes for Mastering Python 3
3. Fluent Python: Clear, Concise, and Effective Programming
4. Programming Python: Powerful Object-Oriented Programming
5. Introduction to Machine Learning with Python: A Guide for Data Scientists
6. Automate the Boring Stuff with Python: Practical Programming for Total Beginners
7. Python Crash Course
8. Learn Python Quickly: A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Learning Python, Even If You’re New to Programming
9. Think Bayes: Bayesian Statistics in Python
10. Learn Python in One Day and Learn It Well

Head First Python, 2nd Edition | Author: Paul Barry

This is one of the best Python programming books for beginners. You will get started with data structures such as Lists, Tuple, etc., in no time. With this book, you will be covered with the basics without going through confusing manuals. 

You will learn programming in Python easily with rich illustrations, and the focus is more on visuals than text. 

Also, read the top C programming books.

Python Cookbook: Recipes for Mastering Python 3 | Authors: David Beazley, Brian K. Jones

To get started with writing Python code on Python 3, this book is for you. It includes the best practices categorised as ‘recipes’. 

Best for intermediates who already know Python, the book covers important tutorials on data structures and algorithms, metaprogramming, classes and objects, C extensions and much more. 

Related: Python interview questions

Fluent Python: Clear, Concise, and Effective Programming, 2nd Edition | Author: Luciano Ramalho

The author teaches you how to write code that is shorter and easier to read. In the book, you will find topics such as Python data model, Object-oriented idioms, Control flow, etc. 

A practical guide for those experienced in programming, the book can build your mastery over the Python language once you complete reading it. 

Even as a beginner to Python, you can start reading it to know the main concepts to master. But remember to take it a little slow as there is a lot of information covered and that can quickly become overwhelming. 

At the end of each chapter, the author, who is a well-known figure in the Python community, shares his opinions, which can be helpful when you are starting out. 

Programming Python: Powerful Object-Oriented Programming | Author: Mark Lutz

After you have grasped the Python fundamentals, the next step would be to grab this book. 

Object oriented programming with Python is a programming paradigm and focuses on reusable code. This book is written for intermediate Python programmers with in-depth topics on system programming, GUI programming, and more.  

Introduction to Machine Learning with Python: A Guide for Data Scientists | Authors:  Andreas Müller, Sarah Guido

As the title suggests, the book covers machine learning in a lot of detail. Beginners in Python programming and machine learning will find this book useful. 

Related: What is a data scientist?

Get started with installing Scikit-Learn along with other libraries including NumPy, Pandas, etc. 

The book also covers the differences between Python 2 and Python 3 and later taps into important machine learning topics including supervised machine learning algorithms, unsupervised learning, etc. 

Automate the Boring Stuff with Python: Practical Programming for Total Beginners | Author: Al Sweigart

Read by more than 500,000 readers, this gem of a book gets you started with Python without any prior experience. The instruction are easy and are provided step-by-step. 

As the title of the book suggests, it will help you understand and create Python programmes that can make tedious computer tasks a lot easier with automation. Such programmes can be used for updating and formatting data in Excel spreadsheets, creating folders, encrypting PDFs, and more. 

Also, check out the free MS Excel courses if you are new to spreadsheets. 

Python Crash Course, 3rd Edition | Author: Eric Matthes

Go for this book if you want to get initiated into Python quickly. This hands-on guide gets you started with installation, troubleshooting, and various practical exercises. The new edition also covers the latest topics, such as object-oriented programming, and tools such as plotly for data visualization. 

There are two parts in this book. The first part gives you an introduction to Python with loops, classes, and variables, among others. 

The second part of the book, starting from Chapter 12, covers projects. One of the projects is included to help create a Space Invaders–inspired arcade game. The other helps you build a web application. 

Learn Python Quickly: A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Learning Python, Even If You’re New to Programming | Author: Code Quickly

Everything there is to know about Python is covered in this comprehensive book. Writing code in Python will become easy with the step-by-step instructions. You will learn about image handling, built-in functions, recursion, etc. 

This book also comes with two different projects that you can practice and learn how Python can be used in real world scenarios. 

Think Bayes: Bayesian Statistics in Python | Author: Allen B. Downey

Bayes theorem is an important subject in statistics. This book teaches you how to solve statistical problems in Python. It has a computational way of describing predictions, decision analysis, and more. Learn from practice exercises with included solutions here. 

Learn Python in One Day and Learn It Well | Author: Jamie Chan

Learn error handling techniques, variables, functions, modules, etc. through curated examples. 

The first edition of this Python book was an Amazon bestseller and now it is in its 2nd edition with more topics. Get started with it and learn to code within a few hours. 

Parting Thoughts

These are among the best Python books to consider. Keep an eye on the new editions when you buy these books as well. Pair these Python books with free Python courses to get started right away.