Lovely Python!

September 17, 2009 — originally posted on Neopythonic

I just heard from Bill Xu in China. His book "Lovely Python", an introduction to Python in Chinese, was just published and shot to the top-5 of china-pub.com's bestseller list (at some point it even was #2). I can't read Chinese, but I am very glad that there's a book on Python available for Chinese readers, and that's why I wrote a brief foreword for the book as well. (Also because I am one of the mentors of Zeuux.org.) Links:

This is the Lovely Python page on the book store:

http://www.china-pub.com/195771

This is the bestseller list:

http://www.china-pub.com/rank/?type=59&act=day&v=7

This is the cover (with front and back) of Lovely Python:

http://www.zeuux.org/pub/lovely-python-cover.jpg

This is my preface:

http://www.zeuux.org/science/zeuux-lovely-python-preface-by-guido.html (English)

http://www.zeuux.org/science/zeuux-lovely-python-preface-by-guido.cn.html (Chinese translation by Bill Xu)

Comments (9)

Victor Noagbodji — September 17, 2009

best use of python mascot ever!

giannisfs — September 17, 2009

That was a nice preface ,
Nice as Python is ;)
This book will make python even more popular and that's great news :-)

9000 — September 17, 2009

Never underestimate the effect of an introductory book on a one-billion population :)

ylesiuk — September 18, 2009

...and this is a proof that snakes can hug:)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6187320/Snake-with-foot-found-in-China.html

Medijoker — September 19, 2009

This comment has been removed by the author.

Guido van Rossum — September 26, 2009

[Sorry, I accidentally deleted a comment:]

Medijoker said...
I talked to a Chinese student on Omegle who was learning to program in C++ and I told him about Python and this post.
I send him a link to your blog, but it couldn't be reached from China, because it was blocked for Chinese users.
Maybe you can do something about that.

Guido van Rossum — September 26, 2009

Alas, I cannot do something about the Chinese IP blocking. Bill Xu didn't mention it when I sent him the link so I expect the blocking is either erratic or easy to get around.

Adam Boduch — October 19, 2009

Even more Python accessibility. That is always a win!

A. P. Marki — January 26, 2010

That's a cute snake on the book cover, but the cartoon depiction of the "savage cannibal", while also 可爱, does not pass muster, not in this century.