Top Python books curated by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we have connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favouritePython books – and here are the answers.

  • Curated by industry experts
  • Proven learning resources
  • Updated annually
Top Python books recommended by experts
User Check

Did you know?

We have over 3,000 mentors available right now!

Fundamentals of Python

Understanding the concepts of Python starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

Learn Python the Hard Way: A Very Simple Introduction to the Terrifyingly Beautiful World of Computers and Code

Learn Python the Hard Way: A Very Simple Introduction to the Terrifyingly Beautiful World of Computers and Code

Zed Shaw has perfected the world’s best system for learning Python 3. Follow it and you will succeed—just like the millions of beginners Zed has taught to date! You bring the discipline, commitment, and persistence; the author supplies everything else. In Learn Python 3 the Hard Way, you’ll lear…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Learn Python in One Day and Learn it Well: Python for Beginners with Hands-on Project : the Only Book You Need to Start Coding in Python Immediately

Learn Python in One Day and Learn it Well: Python for Beginners with Hands-on Project : the Only Book You Need to Start Coding in Python Immediately

Have you always wanted to learn computer programming but are afraid it'll be too difficult for you? Or perhaps you know other programming languages but are interested in learning the Python language fast? This book is for you. You no longer have to waste your time and money learning Python from …

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Hands-On Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn and TensorFlow: Concepts, Tools, and Techniques to Build Intelligent Systems

Hands-On Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn and TensorFlow: Concepts, Tools, and Techniques to Build Intelligent Systems

This practical book shows you how. By using concrete examples, minimal theory, and two production-ready Python frameworks―scikit-learn and TensorFlow―author Aurélien Géron helps you gain an intuitive understanding of the concepts and tools for building intelligent systems.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

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

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

Grokking Algorithms is a friendly take on this core computer science topic. In it, you'll learn how to apply common algorithms to the practical programming problems you face every day. You'll start with tasks like sorting and searching.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Practical Statistics for Data Scientists: 50+ Essential Concepts Using R and Python

Practical Statistics for Data Scientists: 50+ Essential Concepts Using R and Python

Statistical methods are a key part of data science, yet few data scientists have formal statistical training. Courses and books on basic statistics rarely cover the topic from a data science perspective. The second edition of this popular guide adds comprehensive examples in Python, provides pra…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Automate the Boring Stuff with Python

Automate the Boring Stuff with Python

If you've ever spent hours renaming files or updating hundreds of spreadsheet cells, you know how tedious tasks like these can be. But what if you could have your computer do them for you?

In Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, you'll learn how to use Python to write programs that do …

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Additional Python Reading

These books are not required for you to learn Python, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python

Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python

Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python teaches you how to program in the Python language. Each chapter gives you the complete source code for a new game, and then teaches the programming concepts from the examples. Games include Guess the Number, Hangman, Tic Tac Toe, and Reversi.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Python Cookbook

Python Cookbook

If you need help writing programs in Python 3, or want to update older Python 2 code, this book is just the ticket. Packed with practical recipes written and tested with Python 3.3, this unique cookbook is for experienced Python programmers who want to focus on modern tools and idioms.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Serious Python: Black-Belt Advice on Deployment, Scalability, Testing, and More

Serious Python: Black-Belt Advice on Deployment, Scalability, Testing, and More

An indispensable collection of practical tips and real-world advice for tackling common Python problems and taking your code to the next level. Features interviews with high-profile Python developers who share their tips, tricks, best practices, and real-world advice gleaned from years of experi…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Head First Python

Head First Python

Head First Python, you'll quickly grasp Python's fundamentals, working with the built-in data structures and functions. Then you'll move on to building your very own webapp, exploring database management, exception handling, and data wrangling.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Python for Data Analysis: Data Wrangling with pandas, NumPy, and Jupyter

Python for Data Analysis: Data Wrangling with pandas, NumPy, and Jupyter

Get the definitive handbook for manipulating, processing, cleaning, and crunching datasets in Python. Updated for Python 3.10 and pandas 1.4, the third edition of this hands-on guide is packed with practical case studies that show you how to solve a broad set of data analysis problems effectivel…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Python 3: The Comprehensive Guide

Python 3: The Comprehensive Guide

Ready to master Python? Learn to write effective code with this award-winning comprehensive guide, whether you’re a beginner or a professional programmer. Review core Python concepts, including functions, modularization, and object orientation and walk through the available data types. Then dive…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

Specializations and Deeper Python Knowledge

You've got your basics in order – time to move on to some advanced and specialized concepts. Python is evolving every day, these books can help you master it.

Python Cookbook: Recipes for Mastering Python 3

Python Cookbook: Recipes for Mastering Python 3

This book is aimed at more experienced Python programmers who are looking to deepen their understanding of the language and modern programming idioms. Much of the material focuses on some of the more advanced techniques used by libraries, frameworks, and applications.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise.

This list is curated by MentorCruise and can include Amazon affiliate links. Have any other suggestions? Add here.

Augment your Python books

There is no better source of accountability and motivation than having a personal mentor. What used to be impossible to find is now just two clicks away! All mentors are vetted & hands-on!

Still not convinced? Don't just take our word for it

We've already delivered 1-on-1 mentorship to thousands of students, professionals, managers and executives. Even better, they've left an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for our mentors.

Find a Python mentor