How to think like a computer scientist
by Peter Wentworth, Jeffrey Elkner, Allen B. Downey, Chris Meyers
Python is a programming language that is entertaining and incredibly simple to use. Its use has grown in popularity over the past several years. The straightforward syntax and general aesthetic of Python, which Guido van Rossum created more than ten years ago, are heavily influenced by ABC, a teaching language created in the 1980s.
However, Python was also developed to address practical issues, and it has many characteristics in common with other programming languages like C++, Java, Modula-3, and Scheme. Python’s broad appeal to professional software developers, scientists, academics, artists, and educators is one of its most amazing aspects as a result.
Considering Python’s appeal to a wide range of communities, you may be wondering why Python? why why teach Python programming? Addressing these issues is no easy endeavour, especially when popular opinion favours more masochistic alternatives like C++ and Java. Yet, I believe the most clear argument is that working in Python is simply more enjoyable and productive.
