Ask YC: What is the best Python book for a beginner?

working through the free "Dive into Python" PDF really is the first step you should take

I read about half of Dive Into Python, and it was pretty advanced stuff.

Dive into Python by far, for me at least!

Dive into Python is great.

Why not read Dive into Python -- it's excellent -- and then learn about the new stuff in 2.5 later.

Learning Python is an excellent book. It is what I found most useful for learning the language.

If you really want a beginner book, Learning Python is a great choice.

I found Learning Python + the python tutorial by Guido on python.org to be a great way to start

If that's you, my vote goes to "How to think like a computer scientist"

I personally recommend How To Think Like A Computer Scientist

This series is really good at getting the basics down clearly and quickly

I found Core Python Programming by Wesley J. Chun is the best python book so far

"Beginning Python - From Novice to Professional"

Extremely helpful and easy to follow book

Programming Python or Core Python. Both from the O'Reilly collection.

"Essential Python Reference" by David Beazley is the way to go.

Programming Python or Core Python. Both from the O'Reilly collection.

Cookbooks are usually dry and this one is too, but it does beef up your skills.