9 Best Python Books in 2023

This is a list of the best Python books in 2023 you can use to learn Python programming.

We can use Python to write programs, websites, games, and much more.

Find the best Python book based on your Python skills:

• Python books for beginners
• books for advanced Python programmers

Best Python books based on the topic:

• Web development
• Data science
• Algorithmic Trading
• AI and Machine Learning

Python Crash Course: A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction to Programming

Best Python book for beginners

Python Crash Course is the best hands-on Python book. It teaches you the basics of the Python programming language clearly and concisely.

Python Crash Course is the most popular Python book and Amazon's bestseller in the programming category.

The book starts with a crash course on the basics of Python, followed by three projects.

You will learn how to:

• create a simple video game,
• use data visualization techniques to make graphs and charts,
• build an interactive web application.

Each project builds upon the skills learned in the previous project, so that by the end of the book, you will have a sound foundation in Python programming.

Book resources

Eric Matthes, the author of Python Crash Course, included a lot of resources on the book website to help you learn Python:

• A Python cheat sheet that summarizes the most important Python concepts.
• Book code examples on GitHub.
• Exercises and challenges beyond the book's content.

Should I read it?

Python Crash Course is for you if:

• You have never programmed before and want to learn Python by doing projects.
• You know some Python, but want to deepen your understanding by doing projects.
• You want a Python book uses clear and concise explanations with code examples.

Fluent Python: Clear, Concise, and Effective Programming

Best Python book for advanced programmers

Fluent Python is a detailed guide to the core Python language.

Python is a simple language that you can be productive in quickly. But this also means you might not be using everything it has to offer. With this hands-on guide, you'll learn how to write effective, idiomatic Python code by using its best features.

Luciano Ramalho's book teaches you the basics of the Python language and how to make your code shorter, faster, and more readable.

If you have experience with other programming languages, this book is for you. Many experienced programmers try to use Python the same way they use other languages. But this can limit their understanding of Python's features. This book will help those programmers learn how to use Python effectively.

This book will teach you:

• Python data model and functions
• how to use Python data structures
• how to apply Object-oriented principles in Python
• advanced language features (generators, coroutines, and concurrency)

Should I read it?

You should read this book if:

• You are familiar with Python 2, but want to learn about the new features in Python 3.
• You want to learn about advanced language features.
• You are an experienced Python programmer who wants to improve code quality.

Luciano Ramalho: About the author

Luciano Ramalho is a Technical Principal at ThoughtWorks. He has worked as a web developer since 1995, and has been using Python since 1998. Ramalho has spoken multiple times at events like OSCON, PyCon, PythonBrasil, FISL, and RuPy.

Automate the Boring Stuff with Python

Automate the Boring Stuff is a book that focuses on learning Python by automating mundane tasks.

How many times did you get asked to read another .csv?

As a software developer, you want to spend your time designing systems and solving interesting problems, not doing busywork.

This book shows you how to use Python to write programs that can do these tasks automatically for you so that you can focus on more interesting work.

The enormous benefit of this book is that you get to learn by doing.

To start, you don't need to know anything about Python programming.

The book starts with the basics and gradually builds your skills so that by the end of the book, you will write complex programs.

You will learn how to:

• use Python for scraping data,
• downloading online content,
• encrypting PDFs,
• sending emails and text notifications,
• filling out online forms

Al Sweigart: About the author

Al Sweigart is a professional software developer who teaches people how to code with Python. He has written several Python programming books, including Cracking Codes with Python, Beyond the Basic Stuff with Python, The Big Book of Small Python Projects.

Al's Udemy courses are some of the highest-rated and most popular Python courses available:

https://www.udemy.com/course/automate/

Should I read it?

Automate the Boring Stuff with Python is for you if:

• You have never programmed before and want to learn how to code by automating tasks.
• You know some Python, but want to deepen your understanding by writing programs that are both useful and fun.
• You want a Python book that uses real-world examples instead of abstract concepts.

Flask Web Development: Developing Web Applications with Python

Best Python book for Web Development

Flask Web Development is the best Python book among web development books. It is a comprehensive guide that covers all the key aspects of web programming using the Flask framework.

Flask Web Development will teach you how to:

• install Flask and set up your development environment,
• create templates using Flask-Bootstrap,
• choose and use a database,
• setup authentication,
• build a social blogging application.

By the end of this book, you will build a production-ready web application using Flask.

Miguel Grinberg

Miguel Grinberg is a software engineer with over 25 years of experience in a variety of areas such as web programming, microservices, cloud, computer animation, and video broadcasting. He has written blog posts on a range of topics including web development, Python, JavaScript, robotics, photography and movie reviews.

Hands-On Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn, Keras, and TensorFlow

Best Python book for Machine Learning and AI

Hands-On Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn, Keras, and TensorFlow is the best Python book for machine learning and AI.

The book connects theory with application. It features concrete examples, minimal theory, and two production-ready Python frameworks: Scikit-Learn and Tensor Flow.

The book starts with fundamentals of machine learning. This part is not too Python specific, so even if you are not familiar with the language, you can learn core concepts of machine learning.

In the second part, you'll learn more about Neural Networks and Deep Learning. This part is more Python specific, where you'll dive deeper into TensorFlow and look at its lower-level Python API.

Should I read it?

Hands-On Machine Learning is for you if:

• You know the basics of machine learning and want to learn more about deep learning.
• You are familiar with Python and want to learn how to use it for machine learning.
• You want to build useful ML models quickly and efficiently.

Aurélien Géron: About the author

Aurélien Géron is a Machine Learning consultant and lecturer. He used to work at Google, where he led YouTube's video classification team from 2013 to 2016.

Aurélien's rich experience is clear in his ability to connect theory with practice. He has a gift for clearly explaining complex topics, which makes Hands-On Machine Learning an excellent choice for anyone who wants to learn more about this innovative field.

Machine Learning for Algorithmic Trading

Best Python book for Algorithmic Trading

Machine Learning for Algorithmic Trading is the best Python book for algorithmic trading. This book explains ML trading strategies and provides a comprehensive guide to implementing them in Python.

ML (Machine Learning) can extract tradable signals from a variety of data, including market, fundamental and alternative data. This makes it possible to create strategies targeting a range of asset classes and investment horizons.

You'll learn how to:

• use data mining for feature extraction and insights
• implement supervised learning
• make data-driven decisions to optimize a portfolio
• build a trading agent

Should I read it?

Machine Learning for Algorithmic Trading is for you if:

• You want to learn how to use ML in trading.
• You are experienced Python programmer and want to learn how to use it for trading.
• You want to build a trading agent.

Stefan Jansen: About the author

Stefan Jansen is the founder and CEO of Applied AI. He advises companies on data and AI strategy. This includes Fortune 500 companies, investment firms, and start-ups in a variety of industries.

He holds master's degrees in computer science from Georgia Tech and in economics from Harvard and Free University Berlin.

Python for Data Analysis

Best Python book for Data Science

Python for Data Analysis is the best Python book for Data Scientists.

The primary focus of the book is on Python programming, libraries, and tools that you need to become a data analysis.

The author covers manipulating, processing, cleaning, and crunching data in Python.

Python for Data Analysis will teach you:

• Python Python language basics (data structures, functions, loops)
• how to work with data in NumPy, pandas, and matplotlib
• how to use jupyter notebook
• data manipulation (cleaning, preparing, storing, and retrieving)
• data wrangling (join, combine, reshape)
• data analysis (summarizing, aggregating, data visualizations)

Should I read it?

Python for Data Analysis is for you if:

• You are familiar with basic Python syntax and want to learn more about the libraries and tools used for data analysis.

Wes McKinney: About the author

Wes McKinney is a software developer and entrepreneur who lives in New York City.

Wes is one of the most influential Python developers. He's the creator of pandas, an open source Python library for data analysis.

He also holds an undergraduate degree in mathematics from MIT.

Grokking Algorithms: An Illustrated Guide for Programmers and Other Curious People

Best Python book for Algorithms and Data Structure

Grokking Algorithms is a book that will help you understand algorithms. This is a key topic in computer science.

You will learn how to use common algorithms to solve practical programming problems you face every day.

You will start with sorting and searching and then move on to more complex topics, such as data compression and artificial intelligence.

The book includes exercises and code samples in Python. The exercises are short—usually just a minute or two, sometimes 5 to 10 minutes. Doing the exercises will help you check your thinking, so you’ll know when you’re on track before you’ve gone too far.

If you buy Grokking Algorithms, you will have access to a private web forum where you can make comments about the book, ask technical questions, and receive help from the author and other readers.

Should I read it?

Grokking Algorithms is for you if you are a:

• Hobbyist coder
• Coding boot camp student
• Computer science grad looking to refresh your skills
• Physics/math/science graduate who is interested in programming

Aditya Bhargava: About the author

Aditya Bhargava is a software engineer who has worked for over 10 years. He currently works for Etsy, an online marketplace for handmade goods.

Head First Python

Head First Python is a Python book for beginners that have prior experience in programming.

The book takes an innovative approach to teaching.

Instead of just giving you the facts, it uses a visually rich format to engage your brain and help you learn. For example, every page has an illustration that explains the associated Python code example.

Head First Python will teach you how to:

• apply Python basics (loops, functions, and object-oriented programming) to real-world projects,
• use data structures in Python (lists, dictionaries, tuples, and sets),
• build a web application in Flask,
• use a MySQL database in Python to store data,
• use exception handling to catch errors,

With Head First Python, you will quickly understand the basics of the language, such as working with data structures and functions.

You will then move on to creating your web application. In the process, you will also learn about database management, exception handling, and data wrangling.

Should I read it?

Head First Python is for you if:

• You're NOT looking for a reference book. Head First Python is a learning experience that uses a visually rich format to engage your brain.
• You're starting from scratch with Python, but you have some programming experience.
• You learn best by doing, so the book's hands-on approach will suit you well.
• You like books with less rigid, humorous format.

Paul Barry: About the author

Paul Barry is a computer expert. He has a B.Sc. in Information Systems, as well as an M.Sc. in Computing. He also has a postgraduate qualification in Learning and Teaching. Paul has worked at The Institute of Technology, Carlow since 1995, and has been teaching there since 1997.

Before becoming a teacher, Paul spent 10 years working in the IT industry in Ireland and Canada. Most of his work was in the healthcare field.

FAQ about Python Books