[Tutor] how to learn python from scratch, (for simpe people)?

[a a]

Dear Friends,

I am writing for some assistence from an expert. 
I give you a short background to understand my need.
(for your information I work with a macbook normally), but I do have desktop in Microsoft)
I am not a programmer. My work has to do with old manuscripts and Philosophy. 
But recently, being in need of building a web site I did learn alone some html, dreamweaver, css and I made two web sites who came out pretty good.
So, I have done of it my hobby, since I do like web design.
But now I would like to go further, although remaining always an hobby.
I would like to learn some programming, since I wish to build a program to run a database. Mybe more in the future if this goes well. 
I have some text, several books, text format. I want to make a program to vew and research these texts. Perhaps on a cd and on a desktop.

On the internet I have read that an easy to learn and yet powerful language to start with is python.
Now my questions:
1) Is python enough and complete to build a simple program of the kind deskribed above? 
2) Will I be able to build standalone program with it?
2) where do I start learning? SOMETHING AS SIMPE AS POSSIBLE!

Thank you very much
Jerome





      
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