Computer Programming for Absolute Beginners: Learn essential computer science concepts and coding techniques to kick-start your programming career

This book is so well written and easy to understand. If you are in need of the introductory concepts of computer programming that you can later build on, I highly recommend this book. The author does not skip over any detail with the assumption that you "know it already." It's a great read. There was a comment that the content covered in this book is covered in the first chapter of other programming books (or something to that effect.) That comment simply isn't true. I've got the Python, C++ and Javascript books on my bookshelf. I even took an Udemy Python coding course. What I first needed was this book before jumping in blind. I work in tech - but in marketing - and this book has definitely given me tools to speak more effectively with the engineers at my job.

Many individuals who might have been good programmers never got through their first course, being overwhelmed with learning both programming logic and the rules and syntax of a complex computer language. This book concentrates on programming logic and rules that apply to all languages, using a simple pseudo-code as the programming language. Once you master this book, you will have much more success in learning an actual programming language such as Python or Java, because you will understand the logic that goes along with every programming language

Gave as a gift to a non-techie; the book’s content was found to be surprisingly insightful, and leading to a better understanding of computer related matters. Very thorough, though it does not include everything; as I was told.

About This BookThis book teaches the reader about the fundamentals of computer programming without bogging them down with how a single language works at the same time. It uses pseudocode examples throughout that are very clear to read and understand. It starts with a high level view before giving the nuts and bolts and then backing up again for a clearer view.Who is This For?This book is for the brand new programmer who wants a deeper understanding of the concepts behind the code. The author mentions in the preface, and I fully agree, that this book is useful for students entering university to study computer science. Other use cases are brought up, but I think this is the most important one. The very first section of the preface mentions that students are learning two major aspects of programming at the same time in their introductory courses: the fundamentals of programming and the programming language. This book takes care of the first so that the student can better focus on the later.Why Was This Written?Most programming books are about how a single programming language, or maybe a single programming paradigm, works. This book takes the language out of the equation and looks at the fundamentals of programming using very clear pseudocode. There are language discussions as well as a primer for turning the pseudocode into working code, which brings readers back full circle to something that they actively can use.OrganizationThis book is organized with a preface, three sections, and two appendices. The main body of the book starts with an introduction to how programs work and how projects are typically organized, moves on to the constructs that make up any modern programming language, and finishes with programming best practices. The book ends with two very important sections on how to translate the pseudocode into one of six modern and popular languages and a dictionary/glossary.Did This Book Succeed?This book easily succeeds at its goals. The reader will have a solid understanding of how a program works and a much easier time picking up a specific programming language. Universities with computer science departments would do well to recommend this text to any of its incoming freshmen. Anyone learning how to program on their own needs this book, also, if they want an easier time with learning a language.Rating and Final ThoughtsIf I were teaching an introductory course on computer programming again, I would want to use this book as one of the required texts. It gives a great overview of computer code without drowning in the details. It easily earns a 5 out of 5.

Computer Programming for Absolute Beginners is a great book for anyone who needs to go from zero to achieving a firm understanding of all the important topics associated with modern software development. The book begins with an introduction to how computer programs work and provides brief examples of programming languages including assembly, C, C++, C#, Python, and JavaScript. From there, it explains the concepts of compilation and interpretation and the different types of software applications such as standalone, client-server, web, and cloud-based. The book covers practical aspects of software development including the organization of code into functions, modules, packages and namespaces.Programming language statements and constructs are introduced in a language-independent manner. The purpose and use of exceptions are covered in detail. The book presents the programming paradigms of structured programming, object-oriented programming, functional programming, logic programming, and array programming. A chapter addresses related topics that aren't strictly part of programming, but are absolutely essential for professional software development, including version control systems, unit testing, and release deployment. The final section of the book addresses the practices that professional software developers use to ensure the production of high-quality code.If you are new to software development and want to gain a thorough understanding of all of its important aspects, this is the book for you.

On the whole, major parts of the book could have been explained better. The writer knows about the topic but knowing is not the same as teaching. (In some parts, it is as if the writer has simply copied and pasted standard definitions for certain concepts instead of actually explaining them for a beginner).Also, English grammar and editing mistakes in the book hurt my trust in the book. I mean, if you can't check your book for grammar mistakes, how can I believe you are thorough in what you do?I would give it a 3, but not more.