The Practice of Computing Using Python

For CS1 courses in Python Programming including majors and non-majors alike.

A problem-solving approach to programming with Python.

The Practice of Computing Using Python introduces CS1 students (majors and non-majors) to computational thinking using Python.  With data-manipulation as a theme, students quickly see the value in what they’re learning and leave the course with a set of immediately useful computational skills that can be applied to problems they encounter in future pursuits.  The book takes an “object-use-first” approach–writing classes are covered only after students have mastered using objects.   

Richard Enbody is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Michigan State University. Since joining the faculty in 1987, he has served as Acting Chair of the Department, Associate Chair, and as Director of the Computer Engineering Undergraduate Program.

Enbody received his B.A. in Mathematics from Carleton College in 1976, and spent six years teaching high school mathematics in Vermont and New Hampshire. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota.

Richard's research interests are in computer security, computer architecture, web-based distance education and parallel processing, especially the application of parallel processing to computational science problems. He has two patents pending on hardware buffer-overflow protection which will prevent most computer worms and viruses.

In 1998 Richard pioneered a CS1 course (first course in Computer Science) over the World Wide Web using RealVideo synchronized with PowerPoint. Students from as far away as Russia and Korea enrolled in the course.

When not teaching, Richard plays hockey, squash, canoes, backpacks, as well as a host of family activities.

Bill Punch is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Michigan State University as well as the director of Michigan State's High Performance Computing Center.

Punch is co-director of the Genetic Algorithms Research and Applications Group or GARAGe. His main interests are genetic algorithms and genetic programming, including theoretical issues (parallel GA/GP) and application issues (design, layout, scheduling, etc.). He also has conducted active research in data mining, focusing on the use of ontologies such as WordNet and Wikipedia for text search.