Computer Book Lists

• Learning Python By Mark Lutz, David Ascher
  Good introduction to the Python language. Assumes some basic knowledge of programming in general. I've found it to be a good guide and reference.
• Learn to Program Using Python by Alan Gauld
  If you've never programmed at all, this book is a good place to start. Teaches programming using Python, but also tells you a bit about how some other languages work. The text is online at the author's website.
• Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction by Steve McConnell
  This is a great book for the nitty gritty details of programming, like how to name variables, what your comments should contain, and more. It definitely assumes a knowledge of programming, so it's not exactly a beginner's book, but it's a very rich resource.

• Webmaster in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition By Stephen Spainhour, Robert Eckstein
  This is a handy reference. It has sections on HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, HTTP, XML, and more. I use it often to remember what options are avialable for certain CSS properties and so forth.
• Beginning PHP4 by Chris Ullman, Jon Blank, Wankyu Choi, Ganesh Prasad, Allan James Kent, Chris Lea
  A great introduction to creating dynamic web pages with PHP. It starts from the very basics and covers email, MySQL database connections, and more. A good start for PHP programming.

• Grokking the GIMP by Carey Bunks.
  This book explains both how to use GIMP and some of the fundamentals of graphics editing (like what is a layer and why should I use it). This book helped me a lot to understand what graphics editing is all about, and how to get more out of programs like GIMP. If you are new to graphics editing, I'd strongly recommend this book. You can also read the book for free online at gimp-savvy.com.
• The GIMP for Linux and Unix: Visual QuickStart Guide by Phyllis Davis
  If you aren't interested in reading a chapter book on the concepts of graphics editing and just want to find out how to do something fast in GIMP, this is a good book. It is a step-by-step guide for doing lots of different things in GIMP.
• The Non-Designers Design Book by Robin Williams
  A great introduction to how to make things look pretty. Makes you think about how you use fonts, alignment, and more. If you've never taken any design and layout classes, this is a short book that gives a lot of practical advice, and can really make your stuff look nice.
• The Non-Designer's Web Book by John Tollett and Robin Williams
  A short book covering the elements of design as they apply to web sites. This book briefly covers a number of the topics from the "Non-Designer's Design Book" but also goes into detail on more web-specific information, such as picture types, web site layout, and more.

• A+ Certification All-In-One Exam Guide by Michael Meyers
  I searched all over for a good PC Repair book, and this is one of the best. It explains how the parts of a computer work and interact, as well as what it looks like when they fail. It is not a step-by-step repair guide, it is for folks who want to understand the bigger picture. I've used this in teaching an A+ certification course, too.