Python for non-Pythonians

Overview

The book uses a very simple and accessible language. All the descriptions of Python functionalities come with intuitive examples to make you learn by doing. This is not a theoretical book and does not cover some of the most internal features of Python. The intention of the authors is to allow business-oriented people to start using Python. The main reason for such a choice of style is due to the increasing number of requests by non-technical professionals to solve daily problems and tasks. Whether the reader wants to append multiple spreadsheets or profile their customer base, being able to use a solid infrastructure which can collect, check, process, analyze data, and report results has become a basic requirement in most industries. The book first introduces the building blocks of Python which can be compared to the different types of words of a language. It introduces readers to the syntax rules of Python—statements, functions, and classes. It then introduces how to use this new language for managing data. As making mistakes is common in programming, learning how to interpret the error messages and fix codes is extremely important from a pedagogical perspective. The book challenges students with a series of "fix the code" questions at the end of each a topic. Students will learn how to successfully write algorithms in Python when they understand its logic and the meaning of each element of the algorithm.

Author Biography

Francesco Grossetti is Assistant Professor at Accounting Department at Bocconi University. Gaia Rubera is Full Professor of Marketing at Bocconi University where she is the director of the MSc in Data Science and Business Analytics. She has received the following recognition: NVIDIA GPU Grant 2017, and the 2017 Emerald Citations of Excellence Award.