Book Review #2

Programming the Raspberry Pi

Getting Started with Python
Simon Monk

The problem with Getting Started series is the extremely limited amount of information that the author can pack into such a short space. However, I think Simon Monk does an admirable job doing it. The book is divided into two parts. The first part deals with Python as a language and all the idiosyncracies the language has. The second part deals with communicating with various modules available on the market.

I really wish that Simon Monk would write two books: One deals with Python language, and the other deals with hardware projects. As it is, there is quite a bit cut out of the book. There's a lot of dependence upon internet resources. It's not that the information presented is lacking. It's just that it's such a bare bones that you have to read the book extremely carefully, as to not miss anything, or worse, misunderstanding the information presented.

There is an obligatory chapter dealing with installing the program, or in this case, setting up the Raspberry Pi. I wonder if you need that much details, but it's actually a compact form to setting up and installing Raspberry Pi, while still providing more details than what the Foundation provide. This isn't good or bad. It's just a design decision that we should be aware of.

The "do-what-I-do" teaching technique is not what I think a good way to teach. Sure, it will cause the students to get results very quickly, but can they expand the knowledge? Most of the time, they won't. I think it's a pity that the book is so short, because the information is presented rather well. It's just that the real foundation is not explained. Woe befall readers who did not do his homework! 

I'm used to read condensed text, and this text is not the most condensed. However, there is a judgement call here. Do you want to condense the text so much that it takes effort to read, even though there's more material? Or do you want to sacrifice detailed info in an effort to make it readable? I think the author did a great job balancing information and readability. If only more authors write like this, I will be happy!

I was pleasantly surprised to see Hangman game in there. In truth, the game is so easy, it is easily implemented in just about any language in one hour. For some reason, most book authors didn't do that. They simply choose a simplistic (and useless) program to make a point. So, I'm glad to see a good game in here.

I'm not so happy that the function list is rather short. I'd like to see a few pages of it, outlining the most common usage. It's a judgement call, but I'd say I can use a few more convenient functions and their relevant modules in one place.

I'm not too happy about drawing section, either. Perhaps it's just me, but the author never answered the question, "How do you put a dot on screen?" 

As far as I'm concerned, if I can put a dot on screen, I can do anything, albeit slowly. I don't have that information. I do have lines, ellipse, and rectangles. I guess, I can make a 1 pixel rectangle, but then it'll be even slower. I know SDL does allow surface, but I don't see it there. There is a discussion about writing an arcade game, but I think the game falls into the simplistic side, and not the sophisticated side. 

The rest of the short pages deals with hardware. There is a good project selection here, including roving robots. There is enough subject to please most people. This is where I think the format is at fault. I'd like to see more pages on this subject! Thus, I think it would be helpful if the author would write 2 books, instead of one.

All in all, it's a good effort by Simon Monk, marred only by the small number of pages inherent in "Getting Started" series. I can recommend this book to any Raspberry Pi user interested in getting started in Python.