[Tutor] Best way of learning

[andy]

Dear Pythonistas

Over a year ago I dabbled in learning Python, working my way through a 
few tutorials, the Deitel's  "How to program in Python" and Hetland's 
"Practical Python", until I came across the OOP sections. My mind just 
froze up, and I found myself wondering if I had really understood 
anything at all. In addition to which I didn't have any "itch" that I 
needed to scratch so was trying to learn something without any purpose. 
So I stopped.

In the interim however I did have a few occasions to write programs and 
scripts for my GNU/Linux system to do the odd thing here and there, a 
few conversion programs and calculators. I found myself going back to 
the books and trying to figure it out again, and am proud to say that I 
have a few programs now that are probably not elegant nor the most 
efficient or stylish, but do the job.

This has re-awakened my interest in programming and as I am going back 
to basics again I am conscious that I want to approach the matter 
differently. I *don't* work in a programming environment, nor am I 
likely to ever get into development, although would be interested in 
learning ethical hacking (the idea just interests me - too many 
espionage movies as a kid I guess).

I am happy to read, and have done a fair amount, but am concerned about 
getting too overwhelmed and confused again. I acknowledge and realise 
the value of practising by scripting programs and enjoy the intellectual 
challenge of the debugging process, and trying to think through the 
trick of a particular way of cracking a problem.

So, after this long-winded introduction, I was hoping to pick the wisdom 
of this list to get some pointers of what to do/not to do to make the 
most effective use of the few hours I have to learn how to program using 
Python. So, any advice for someone in their mid-40s who would like to 
learn Python in a more methodical and effective manner?

Thanks in anticipation.

Andy


-- 

"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." - Thomas Pynchon, "Gravity's Rainbow"