Addison Wesley Data Structures & Algorithms in Python

Other reviews commented that the author's syntax isn't very modern. This is somewhat true but doesn't really detract from the book in my experience. If you buy this book, do not expect to be taught the built-in Python types like tuples or dictionaries. Rather, this book goes over classic data structures like the linked list or binary tree and assumes fundamental knowledge of Python.

This is easily the most accessible book on algos or data structures I've read, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone new to these topics. It's written in clear and easy language, and the pace is slow with lots of great details every step of the way (too slow for more experienced devs in most cases - but you can just skim the slow bits). For the most part someone with intermediate programming and high school math skills should be able to keep up just fine. In my opinion, two things really set this book apart from others as a learning resource for beginners: 1) There are very good color diagrams in each chapter. These are plentiful and detailed, and show a given algo's execution step-by-step. These are usually enough to illustrate exactly how an algorithm works without requiring the reader to even run any code to "get it." 2) The authors provide a really excellent companion visualization tool as a separate download. This tool provides interactive examples for every single chapter of the book which show you how the various algorithms or data structures function visually. So for example, all the sorting algos will present a long row of randomly ordered colored blocks in the interactive window on your screen - and let you choose how many blocks you want to include (how long of an array - 1-N), and which type of sort you want to run. Click run, and the visualization animates the algo going through that array step-by-step, shifting or swapping array values as it goes. This is true for all the various algos and data structures in the book. Just a really great learning tool which I wish I'd had years ago. Final word: This is a easy read and a top-notch learning resource anyone learning algorithms and data structures, or for anyone who may already know them but wants to learn them in Python.

The book covers all the concepts explaining them in the iterative difficulty manner. Provides examples and explanations. This one is a cornerstone in every IT foundation for a Python programmer.

This was a comprehensive book on data structures in python. Covers from list to graphs. It also covers searching and every algorithm in between with a comparison by speed. I could see this being used to teach data structures in college.

So the material is much as expected a standard old school data structures style book, non pythonic, more for the understanding of old school CS structures.. But just using python code to do the same things.. It reads well and the content is well presented.. However with that said, you can tell the author comes from and old school Java/C++ background as none of the variable names are descriptive at all making the code way harder to follow.. Typical old school computer science enumerating everything with J and i... Using nondescript names like __a for array or __pri for priority.. Rather then naming variables in a descriptive way, which would make the code far more readable.... This is my only gripe about this book so far.. I am about 200 pages in.. and I have to re-read code over and over again to decipher the mess of non descript names and trace up and down the code to see what goes to what rather then just understanding the concepts... So clearly the author has ignored all wisdom over the last 20 years on using descriptive naming conventions for code readability which would greatly enhance this book if updated.. If I was actually in a computer science program right now and I got handed this book I would think to myself.. yep to be expected. but reading it for fun to gain some new insights, not so much enjoying bad naming conventions.. and this is an easy fix that could greatly enhance this book..