Technology is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world today, with development and programming at the front foot.
According to Evans Data Corporation, there were 23 million software developers in 2018, and by the end of 2019, the number is expected to reach 26.4 million.
Furthermore, by 2023, there are expected to be around 27.7 million developers in the world.
Since Python is one of the most popular programming languages in the world today with no projections of falling popularity, it is safe to say that many more people will be learning it in the coming years.
This post contains a comprehensive list of resources related to Python. From books and websites to coding challenges and podcasts, this is your go-to list for anything Python. Whether you are an experienced Python developer or you are considering learning this popular language, you will find a wealth of resources suitable for your skills.
Programming languages—and programming in general—evolve quickly, and so it’s crucial that you stay up to date. When it comes to Python, this post will make sure of that! Let’s get started.
Types of Resources
There are multiple resources that you can access to learn Python or develop your skills further, both online and offline. A few examples of these are:
- Books in print, electronic, or audio format
- Videos and podcasts
- Blogs and websites
- Tutorials and courses
- Games and coding bootcamps
Not all of these resources are for everyone; some people prefer learning from a particular resource, while others might find the same resource useless. It all depends on the person and what works best for them.
Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic (VAK) learning styles also play a part here along with several other factors that can have an impact on your productivity, retention, and understanding.
Do you understand things more easily when you hear about them? Conversely, do you retain more information when you read about something? Perhaps you learn more about a topic through activities.
Knowing how you learn best is important in any context, and the same is true for choosing Python learning resources.
Best Resources for Python Developers
Out of the thousands of resources available online, some resources are more helpful than others in teaching programming with Python. Not only are the resources listed here more thorough, engaging, and understandable, but they also encourage higher retention.
Coding is a dry and tricky subject, so any resource that can grab the readers' attention is worth it, like the ones below.
Books
Books are an invaluable source of information that have been the backbone of learning and education for hundreds of years. However, the detailed style of explaining concepts, principals, methodology, and problems is not for everyone.
Regardless, books are irreplaceable, which is why every Python developer needs to give them a shot.
According to Max Winters, market research analyst at Academist Help, “Audiobooks, e-books, online resources, and other digital alternatives might be more practical mediums to transfer knowledge depending on the current times. However, they are nowhere near to replacing a physical book in the near future.”
I’ve put together a list of the best books out there to enrich your knowledge in Python. These books are meant for both beginner and advanced programmers.
Regardless of where you currently stand with your programming skills or your preferred learning medium, you will definitely gain a wealth of information about Python from the books listed below.
- Python Crash Course: A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction to Programming, by Eric Matthes
- Python Cookbook, Third Edition, by David Beazley and Brian K. Jones
- Head First Python: A Brain-Friendly Guide, Second Edition, by Paul Barry
- Python Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science, Third Edition, by John Zelle
- Learn Python the Hard Way: A Very Simple Introduction to the Terrifyingly Beautiful World of Computers and Code, Third Edition, by Zed A. Shaw
- A Byte of Python, by C.H. Swaroop
- Fluent Python: Clear, Concise, and Effective Programming, by Luciano Ramalho
- Programming Python: Powerful Object-Oriented Programming, by Mark Lutz
Don’t shy away at the sight of a thick book. Give these books a chance, and see how much they can help you become a Python pro.
YouTube Channels
Videos are a great way to explain boring concepts in the most fun way possible. Thus, videos have higher retention and engagement rates.
Below, I have compiled a list of YouTube channels that will help you grow as a developer. Many of these channels are not specific to Python but have posted videos that will help a lot in learning the language.
This journey of tutorials and podcasts that began in 2008 by Bucky Roberts has now become an invaluable resource for both developers and students who are interested in programming.
According to Bucky Roberts, “While Universities and Corporations were charging like crazy for people to receive an education, people could come and watch my videos and get the same information for no cost at all. I decided that this is the way it would be. Education should be free for everyone who desires one. It should not be a business. And quickly, that became my goal.”
Software engineer Corey Schafer left his job in 2018 to create walkthroughs and tutorials for his YouTube channel, to help software engineers, programmers, and developers.
He says, “I try not to create tutorials for topics for the sole purpose of them being popular or what will get the most views … I instead try to create the lessons that I wish I had when learning that topic.”
Sentdex was founded by Harrison Kinsley in 2010, after which he founded PythonProgramming.net in 2012. Python Programming tutorials focus on many topics, including web development, game development, data visualization, robotics, finance, and machine learning.
For those of you wondering what Harrison Kinsley’s projection is on the future of Python:
“Fundamentally, I can easily see Python being here in the next 20+ years, but a lot will depend on the community.”
YK Sugi founded the educational YouTube channel CS Dojo in 2016. It is filled with tutorials and stories about computer science and programming.
Sugi quit his full-time software developer job at Google that paid him more than $100,000 per year. He then pursued his passion for creating videos on his YouTube channel to fill the market gap between what people wanted and what they got.
According to YK Sugi, “I’m making a lot less money now, but it’s just amazing to be able to directly see the impact that I’m making on people’s lives.”
Harshit Vashisth creates Python tutorials in Hindi, which form a complete course free of charge for beginners who want to learn this programming language.
Brad Traversy is the Founder, Full Stack Web Developer, and Instructor at Traversy Media. His YouTube channel, tutorials, and courses follow his passion for teaching programming and web development in a simple and understandable manner.
His videos focus on subjects such as HTML5, front-end frameworks like Angular, or server-side technologies like Python, Node.js, and PHP.
Brad Traversy’s advice to freelancers is, “If there is a plugin that does what you need, USE IT! Do not get hung up on pride where you need to create everything from scratch. You will go broke doing that. Look for easy-to-use, high-level frameworks like Laravel and Django. This will make your job much more comfortable.
Also, do not take on more than you can handle. If you can only handle one project at a time, then do that. You will get better and faster in the future.”
Founder of Kudvenkat, Venkat K, has over 14 years of experience in SQL Server and Microsoft .NET technologies. He created his channel to satiate his love of sharing knowledge. He believes that “to teach is to learn.”
Codecourse is a YouTube channel that was founded in 2019 by Alex Garrett. This channel focuses on providing programmers and Python developers with additional support so they can bring up their knowledge and understand tricky concepts that had eluded them before.
Online Course Websites
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) or online courses are a modern-day alternative to traditional classrooms and education. Therefore, if you want to learn Python but hate sitting in a stuffy classroom, then this is the alternative for you.
Online courses allow students the luxury of learning in their own time and space. Don’t waste your time or money on a boring class; learn Python at your convenience.
All of the platforms mentioned below offer advanced and beginner courses on Python. Some even offer microcourses that can later be counted as credits for your degree. However, those are a bit expensive, especially if you are opting for courses from Harvard, MIT, or similar institutions.
Udemy offers a bunch of courses on Python that cater to programmers at all levels of skill and expertise. It is a leader in learning and teaching, connecting students and educators from around the world. It features:
- 40 million students
- 130,000 courses
- 50,000 instructors
- 245 million course enrollments
- 30 million minutes of video
- More than 60 languages
- More than 4,000 enterprise customers
Moreover, 80% of Fortune 100 companies recognize Udemy as a trusted education provider for employee upskilling.
Coursera is one of the best platforms for obtaining online education. It has:
- 40 million learners
- Almost 200 university partners
- More than 3,600 courses
- Offering over 390 specializations
- Over 15 types of certificates
- More than 14 types of degrees
Coursera offers five fee and learning period options for learners to choose from regardless of their location, professional experience, or any other factors.
Coursera also gives Python programmers and other students a variety of options depending on their level of skill, instructional need, and general preference. They can choose from courses, specializations, professional certificates, Mastertrack™ certificates, and online degrees.
edX is the hub for all online learning and MOOCs. You are bound to find a few courses you would be interested in to learn or polish your knowledge of Python.
Founded by Harvard and MIT, edX is a global nonprofit platform that is transforming traditional learning and education by removing barriers of location, cost, and access. edX is a platform for learners of every stage whether they are entering the market, changing fields, exploring new interests, or seeking a promotion.
As stated on the edX website:
“Fulfilling the demand for people to learn on their own terms, edX is reimagining the possibilities of education, providing the highest-quality, stackable learning experiences, including the groundbreaking MicroMasters® programs.”
Furthermore, edX has partnered up with some of the world’s top universities, including Harvard, MIT, Brown University, ETH Zurich, University of Oxford, University of Notre Dame, Princeton University, and Tsinghua University to provide courses and programs. These cover a wide variety of subjects including math, data and computer science, and humanities.
edX is known to have:
- Almost 2,500 courses
- More than 120 Institutional Partners
- Over 20 million learners worldwide
- More than 70 million enrollments
Pluralsight helps you by assisting in the development of contemporary skills and teaching the latest technology through assessments, courses, and learning paths created by industry experts.
Keeping this in mind, Python developers and those interested in learning the coding language should rest assured that this is a valuable learning platform. It helps businesses and individuals achieve benchmark expertise across roles, speed up release cycles, and build reliable products.
Important statistics about Pluralsight:
- More than 1,500 expert authors
- Trusted by 70% of the Fortune 500 companies
- Over 17,700 business accounts
- Nearly 1,500 employees
- More than 6,000 online courses
Pluralsight has helped transform thousands of organizations at scale, including Nasdaq, Adobe, GameStop, ADP, VMWare, and Johnson Controls. Although it is headquartered in Utah, Pluralsight offers courses and aid in development, creative training, and IT to organizations and individuals around the world.
Udacity was founded by Stanford instructors Peter Norvig and Sebastian Thrun. They started this platform as an experiment, offering their “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence” course online for free. Udacity aims to democratize education and jump-start career development.
Udacity allows prospective learners from across the globe to master in-demand skills. It has more than 160,000 students from over 190 countries, and it offers more than 30 nanodegree programs ranging from beginner to advanced in some of the most innovative and interesting fields.
Browse through their range of courses to find the perfect Python course for you.
Google courses and certificates can make a developer's career. Therefore, if you can take a Python course created by Google experts, then you will not only gain a wealth of knowledge, but your employability will also increase.
Google offers online training, tutorials, learning material, courses, and nanodegrees to Android and web developers through Udacity and Firebase codelab. Their purpose is to train developers in creating flexible, responsive, and visually appealing apps and web platforms that are useful and marketable and have a matchless user experience.
Google offers trainings in web and app development, Android app development, machine learning, and TensorFlow. All learners are provided with a Google Developers Certification upon the completion of an exam.
Google also offers international programs to encourage web and Android development in India, Indonesia, and Africa.
Treehouse has partnered with Google Developers, IBM Watson, Amazon Alexa, and Microsoft to create diversification in the global tech industry. It aspires to do so by making education and apprenticeship more accessible and helping learners build their portfolio.
Having partnered with some of the IT industry’s top dogs, Treehouse can help you learn the most important and relevant information there is on Python development.They offer learners the chance to enroll in the Treehouse Techdegree program and their other courses to make beginner-level learners career-ready.
Treehouse has:
- Over 300 courses
- Around 278 workshops
- Covers 23 topics
- More than 50,000 current students
The courses are designed to help learners master soft skills and technical skills and to become experts in wielding modern development tools and techniques.
Treehouse offers a project-based online learning program called Techdegree. This program focuses on teaching fundamental concepts through quizzes, tutorials, and code challenges.
Originally created in 1998 by Norwegian software development and consulting company Refsnes Data, W3Schools is a website for web developers. It offers several references and free tutorials on coding and development with Python.
W3Schools focuses on providing simplified, straight-forward, and easy-to-understand advice that promotes learning through rich illustrations and explanations. These tutorials start at the primary level and take the learners up to a professional level.
Games
Learning coding and programming with Python can also be fun and games. You won’t even feel like you are studying, but you’ll still get a good grip on all the important concepts.
Robocode
Robocode is a coding and programming game where players program a robot to spar against other robots in a battle arena. The player codes the AI of the robot so it can react and fight against its opponents.
CodinGame
CodinGame is a training platform for programmers to improve their coding skills through puzzles, exercises, and challenges. They will put their programming skills to good use in this online application that supports the use of 25 languages.
CodeCombat
CodeCombat is an educational video game for self-paced learners who want to learn coding languages and programming concepts. Divided into 11 units (six computer science units, two web development units, and three game development units), this game has both single and multiplayer components.
Advancing through the levels of this game requires the players to write code, which gets them to test their knowledge.
CodeWars
Codewars is a platform that hosts an educational community to learn computer programming. Developers achieve mastery in coding by training in kara (programming challenges) on the dojo.
Ruby Warrior
Ruby Warrior is a strategy-based command-line game that takes the players on a quest of destiny, adventure, and love.
Each player is assigned a knight or warrior character who they can control by giving commands. Their AI does challenges like climbing the tower, battling enemies, rescuing captives, and a lot more.The completion of tasks and level-ups enable players to win points.
The initial codebase is generated by the game, and the rest of the coding for the AI needs to be done by the player.
Vim Adventures
Vim Adventures is a puzzle game that is a cross between a text editor and Zelda. This game doesn’t require a mouse; it only utilizes keyboard keys to give commands like going up, down, right, and left. The player is required to find their way out of a maze, follow hints, collect keys, find treasure chests, and more to pass the level.
Flexbox Froggy
Flexbox Froggy requires players to write code to help the frogs in the game make it home to their lilypads.
The whole interface of the game can be controlled with just a few lines of code, including the spacing, alignment, and wrapping of web elements.
Elevator Saga
Elevator Saga is a coding game that features a building with various floors and elevators. The job of the player is to code an algorithm that controls the elevators’ actions and movements.
Coding Challenge and Practice Websites
If you have a competitive streak or you want to test your knowledge in Python and other programming languages, you can take part in these online challenges. Some of them can even land you a good chunk of prize money!
Podcasts
Students who are auditory learners can polish their concept knowledge and find out more about the challenges, problems, and solutions that Python developers come across while creating a program. These podcasts are for both professionals and those just entering the field of Python development.
Talk Python To Me is a weekly podcast about Python and everything related to it such as MongoDB, AngularJS, and DevOps. Hosted by Michael Kennedy, the 30-minute episodes feature a range of topics and guests, including some renowned industry experts.
Podcast.__init__ is a podcast that revolves around Python and all the people doing great things with it, either developing the language or making a difference using it. It’s hosted by programmer and tech geek Tobias Macey, who has also hosted the Data Engineering Podcast.
Django Chat is a weekly podcast by Carlton Gibson and William Vincent that covers topics linked to the Django web framework.
Python Bytes is hosted by Brian Okken and Michael Kennedy. This weekly podcast consists of short discussions on the latest headlines and news related to Python, the data science space, and developers.
Test & Code is also hosted by Brian Okken. This weekly podcast covers a large variety of Python-related topics.
DataFramed is a weekly podcast by DataCamp hosted by educator and data scientist Hugo Bowne-Anderson, who speaks to industry experts on the future, limitations, and practical use of data science. The first six episodes feature data practitioners Hilary Mason and Dave Robinson.
Data science is a fastest-growing industry that can make a difference in several fields. DataFramed focuses on the problems that data science can solve, such as automated medical diagnosis, climate change, recommendation systems, and self-driving cars.
Import This: A Python Podcast for Humans is hosted by Kennneth Reitz and a random co-host. Import This: A Python Podcast for Humans is—as the name suggests—a podcast about Python for humans. The podcast focuses on the relevance, usage, and impact of Python programming on the life of people today.
The Digital Python Forecast is a podcast that covers topics related to Python, but in the most laid back way possible. The podcast was originally started by Dirk (financial backer and wordsmith), Tony (enforcer), and Bill (sound guy and editor), but Nick (research assistant) has since been added to the crew.
Learning Never Stops
We’re finally at the end! These are the best resources I could find for Python developers whether they are amateurs or professionals. This ample and diversified list covers everything that any developer, programmer, or coder could need to polish their knowledge and skills in Python.
Hopefully, one or more of these will help you learn Python faster and with better understanding because Python could be the future of programming.
