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Automate the Boring Stuff with Python Review

Worth it

Should I use Automate the Boring Stuff with Python?

Practical programming for total beginners — free to read online - automatetheboringstuff.com

· 1 month ago

Buy it if you have zero coding experience and want to automate files, spreadsheets, and web chores — the whole book is free online. Skip it if you already write code or want a reference manual; you will outgrow it in weeks.

Confidence

High. Based on ~20 public sources including the official site, publisher page, reviews, and community threads.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support model; it's a book.
  • Security postureA book has no software attack surface.

Pricing

Free

Read online

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Print / ebook~$39.95 print

Best for

  • Total beginners with zero coding experience
  • Office workers drowning in file and spreadsheet chores
  • Sysadmins adding Python basics
  • Anyone wanting a free, self-paced intro

Not for

  • Experienced developers — far too basic for you
  • Anyone needing a reference manual — the book says it isn't one
  • Learners wanting production-grade, advanced, or ML Python
  • Teams wanting finished automation tools instead of learning to code

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Free PDFs online are often old editions — confirm you're reading the 3rd (Nov 2023).

low

You will outgrow it fast; plan a second, deeper resource.

low

Its own text admits the coding style sometimes breaks best practices.

low

Paying ~$39.95 for print when the full text is free online is optional.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Entire book free to read online under Creative Commons.
  • Over 500,000 copies sold; proven with beginners.
  • Written for people with no programming background at all.
  • Publisher purchase includes a free ebook.
  • Widely recommended by practitioners on Reddit and GitHub lists.

Cons

  • Beginner-only scope; explicitly not a reference manual.
  • Some example coding style goes against best practices.
  • Older editions circulate as free PDFs; easy to read outdated content.

Sources & method

- 8 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x3review x4news x1

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Full text free under Creative Commons.
  • Ease of use: 5/5. Explicitly written for total beginners.
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Broad beginner coverage, deliberately not a reference.
  • Support quality. No support model; it's a book.
  • Security posture. A book has no software attack surface.
  • 500,000+ Copies sold self-reported by author
  • Free Read online Creative Commons license
  • 3rd Latest edition Published Nov 2023
  • $39.95 Print price No Starch Press

Pricing

Read online

Free

  • Full book under Creative Commons
  • All chapters

Print / ebook

~$39.95 print

  • 3rd edition
  • Publisher purchase includes free ebook

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Practitioners on Reddit, GitHub, and review sites consistently call it the best first Python book for beginners.

“Automate the Boring Stuff with Python is an excellent introduction to programming concepts with a focus on Python.”
GitHub, awesome-network-automation list
“Automate The Boring Stuff With Python will provide a wealth of learning for anyone who reads it.”
Compucademy book review
Full analysis

Based on ~20 public sources including the official site, publisher page, reviews, and community threads.

Free beginner Python book, 500k+ copies. Perfect first step if you're new; useless if you already code.

Methodology

Based on ~20 public sources including the official site, publisher page, reviews, and community threads.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. Automate the Boring Stuff with Python (official site)automatetheboringstuff.com
    official
  2. No Starch Press — 3rd Editionnostarch.com
    official
  3. Compucademy book reviewcompucademy.net
    review
  4. Goodreads — 3rd Editiongoodreads.com
    review
  5. GitHub awesome-network-automationgithub.com
    review
  6. Reddit r/sysadmin recommendation threadreddit.com
    review
  7. What's New in the 3rd Edition (author blog)inventwithpython.com
    news
  8. Full text (archive.org scan)archive.org
    official

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