Books and reviews

Free online books

I recommend to read in this order, using later books to clear any confusion from previous books. Because all are for beginners, you can skip a lot as you learn from books farther down the list.

quick and simple intro using Python shell. Use just Chapter 2. Programming Fundamentals and Python, rest is for language processing.

Python for Absolute Beginners in 3 afternoons. Use PDF files with notes (said by presenters while showing the slide). Excellent basic intro.

Dick Baldwin's tutorial - the best, with good explanations at beginner level. Does not look pretty, but text is excellent.

Wikibooks non-programmer tutorial - simple and good. Maybe little too simple: if Baldwin book is confusing, check explanation in wikibooks

A Byte of Python - by swaroop

Learning to Program - by Alan Gauld. Compares Python, Javascript, and VBasic (so you can appreciate how your life is easier in Python). You can buy it as paper book too. Covers also advanced topics (like OOP), but they are clearly marked.

Programming for non-programmers - also Build skills in Python and ... in OOP

Cheat-sheets, Video

• Python Quick reference - 25 pages PDF and http://www.limsi.fr/Individu/pointal/python/pqrc/ . Both have more details than beginner need - limsi is under commons license, changeable.

• Hands-On Python A Tutorial Introduction for Beginners, by Andrew N. Harrington, with some videos. Part of programming 101. Up to simple web pages.

• http://showmedo.com/videos/python - videos about python - from "install how-to" to "20 minute wiki using turbogears". Teasers are free, most are paid for. Said to be popular with some beginners.

Tutorials

• on Tutorialized - from beginner to GUI

• ShowMeDo video tutorials

Advanced books

• Introduction to Programming at wikiversity - Simple 1-page intro about what programming is. Gives you a glimpse on CPU instruction - but just a glimpse

• If you program in any language, start with Dive Into Python by Mark Pilgrim, and/or Guido's Python tutorial
• Thinking in Python - by Bruce Eckel, world-known expert, whose book "Thinking in Java" has 4 editions. BTW he prefers Python now :-) (suggested by nanotube - thanks)

• How Python runs programs

Paper Books

Python Pocket Reference - *best spent $10 on a must-have book*

PaperBooks

More books and videos

• Beginner's Guide has many good resources (also in languages other than English).

• non-programmers guide to python.

• Free Python books