Which Pyton Book For Newbies?

[Cameron Laird]

In article <1153614703.211074.38830 at i3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>,
 <hanumizzle at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>W. D. Allen wrote:
>> I want to write a retirement financial estimating program. Python was
>> suggested as the easiest language to use on Linux. I have some experience
>> programming in Basic but not in Python.
>>
>> I have two questions:
>>  1. What do I need to be able to make user GUIs for the program, and
>>  2. Which book would be easiest to use to learn Python programming?
>
>I am a fairly experienced programmer and I have been reading Dive Into
>Python. If you have prior experience, you may find it very
>satisfactory. (But see a recent thread I started which points out a few
>small mistakes...nothing too bad over all.) If you have less
>programming experience, you may wish to look at Byte of Python. The
>great thing about Python is that there is a ton of online material to
>peruse...
>

As fond as I am of Python (enough so to have been recognized for my
advocacy by the community), and as often as I've lauded Python for
its "easy entry", I feel compelled to observe that it *is* possible
to program in Basic under Linux; perhaps such an approach would
particularly suit you.  Have you considered, for example, <URL:
http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Programming/Languages/BASIC/ >?