Recommend decent Computer Science books

[David Thomas]

Hi I know that this is a group about Python. But I am just wondering if anybody can recommend any introductory/good books on Conputer Science.

Kind regards

 

[Chris Angelico]

Hi I know that this is a group about Python.  But I am just wondering if anybody can recommend any introductory/good books on Conputer Science.

Well, there are books about Python specifically. They get discussed
periodically on this list, too; here's a recent thread:

http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/python/python/988206

I cannot personally endorse any of the books mentioned, but only
because I've not read them.

ChrisA

 

[Greg]

Hi I know that this is a group about Python. But I am just wondering if anybody can recommend any introductory/good books on Conputer Science.

Kind regards

I recommend "Python Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science" - 2nd
Edition by John Zelle.

Regards,

 

[rusi]

Hi I know that this is a group about Python.  But I am just wondering if anybody can recommend any introductory/good books on Conputer Science.

Kind regards

This is like asking: How do I live my life? or make money (or love)?
etc
Not that there are no answers, rather too many to be useful.

So if you want this to be a little more useful you should say
- who you are (eg student, or what kind of professional) etc
- what you are looking for
- why ask this on a python list

Since we dont yet have any such data, some general comments:
- There are many good books on computer science (and many more not
good)
- Of those many have very little to do with programming languages
- Of course there are good CS books dealing with programming both
specifically (as in python) and generically (as in implementation,
semantics etc)
- The usual spelling is 'computer.' If your spelling was deliberate
then, yes, Ive been 'conned' into answering

 

[Dennis Lee Bieber]

Hi I know that this is a group about Python. But I am just wondering if anybody can recommend any introductory/good books on Conputer Science.

Ouch... I don't know if I've seen a traditional CompSci text in
decades...

Data Structures & Program Design; Robert L. Kruse; 1984 Prentice
Hall

{did I say "decades" <G>} Covers lists, trees, sorting, hashing, and
searching (and more). I can mention this one as it sits on the bookcase
next to me. It is predated by (and references in one chapter)

Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs; Niklaus Wirth; 1976
Prentice Hall

The book my college used:

Data Structure and Management; Ivan Flores; 1970 Prentice Hall
(though I think I have the 1977 printing/edition in storage)

{Think if I offer mine for $500 and free shipping it would sell?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0131973355/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used
}

Granted, a language like Python hides a lot from one... Why learn
how to implement hash functions and manage searching in a hashed
structure when Python dictionaries do all that for you -- and with
arbitrary associated values instead of fixed-format records.

Then, if you really feel masochistic, add in Gio Wiederhold's
database and/or file-system books:

Database Design 2nd; G. W.; 1983 McGraw-Hill
File Organization for Database Design; G. W.; 1987 McGraw-Hill

SQL barely existed; and relational database systems were mostly
experimental... a lot of information on hierarchical and network
systems, with a lot of time spent on how to actually store the data for
retrieval (ISAM, trees, other index schemes).

 

[David Thomas]

Thanks everyone for the feedback really appreciate it especially the above post cheers