This book would not have been possible without the wonderful and extremely professional staff at No Starch Press. Bill Pollock invited me to write an introductory book, and I deeply appreciate that original offer. Liz Chadwick has worked on all three editions, and the book is better because of her ongoing involvement. Eva Morrow brought fresh eyes to this new edition, and her insights have improved the book as well. I appreciate Doug McNair’s guidance in using proper grammar, without becoming overly formal. Jennifer Kepler has supervised the production work, which turns my many files into a polished final product.
There are many people at No Starch Press who have helped make this book a success but whom I haven’t had the chance to work with directly. No Starch has a fantastic marketing team, who go beyond just selling books; they make sure readers find the books that are likely to work well for them and help them reach their goals. No Starch also has a strong foreign-rights department. Python Crash Course has reached readers around the world, in many languages, due to the diligence of this team. To all of these people whom I haven’t worked with individually, thank you for helping Python Crash Course find its audience.
I’d like to thank Kenneth Love, the technical reviewer for all three editions of Python Crash Course. I met Kenneth at PyCon one year, and their enthusiasm for the language and the Python community has been a constant source of professional inspiration ever since. Kenneth, as always, went beyond simple fact-checking and reviewed the book with the goal of helping newer programmers develop a solid understanding of the Python language and programming in general. They also kept an eye out for areas that worked well enough in previous editions but could be improved upon, given the opportunity for a full rewrite. That said, any inaccuracies that remain are completely my own.
I’d also like to express my appreciation to all the readers who have shared their experience of working through Python Crash Course. Learning the basics of programming can change your perspective on the world, and sometimes this has a profound impact on people. It’s deeply humbling to hear these stories, and I appreciate everyone who has shared their experiences so openly.
I’d like to thank my father for introducing me to programming at a young age and for not being afraid that I’d break his equipment. I’d like to thank my wife, Erin, for supporting and encouraging me through the writing of this book, and through all the work that goes into maintaining it through multiple editions. I’d also like to thank my son, Ever, whose curiosity continues to inspire me.