Suitable for newcomers to computer science, this text provides a concise yet complete first course in computer science using the Python programming language. The author presents basic programming constructs early, so that beginners can use them throughout the course. He then covers objects and defines classes. Each chapter introduces a main idea through a concrete example and a series of exercises. The examples, exercises, and projects reflect a wide range of applications in biology, textual analysis, and other areas.

Author Biography

Mark J. Johnson is professor of computer science and mathematics at Central College in Pella, Iowa, where he holds the Ruth and Marvin Denekas Endowed Chair in Science and Humanities. Mark is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Ph.D., mathematics) and St. Olaf College.