Hot take: 'Learn Python in 24 hours' books are pointless

I spent last Thursday trying to follow one of those crash course books for Python and ended up more confused than when I started. The examples were all about fake stuff like inventory systems, not anything I'd actually build. What made it stand out is I finally figured out loops by messing with a weather script for 3 hours instead. Has anyone else found better luck just jumping into a real project over those quick-start guides?

2 comments

2 Comments

green.jessica4d ago

Oh man those quick start books are just scams! I tried one for JavaScript and spent 2 hours on a made up "video game inventory" thing that taught me nothing useful. Real projects are way better. I figured out Python dictionaries just by building a simple playlist randomizer. Practical stuff sticks way better than those fake examples.

faithbarnes4d ago

Two hours on a fake project doesn't sound like that big of a deal to me. Did it really ruin your whole learning experience or were you just annoyed?