Blew $80 on a 'coding bootcamp' book that taught me how to use a mouse

I got super excited last month and bought this thick book called 'Python for Absolute Beginners' for $80 at a local bookstore. Turned out the first 50 pages were literally explaining how to double-click icons and what a browser is. I almost cried when I got to page 60 and it finally mentioned a for loop. Has anyone else wasted cash on a resource that was way too basic for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

king.andrew16d ago

Oh man, that Python book sounds brutal. Those "absolute beginner" resources are a total trap sometimes because they assume you've never touched a computer before. Like, who is dropping $80 on a programming book without knowing how to use a mouse? That's wild. I made a similar mistake with a web design course that spent three hours explaining what a URL is before even mentioning HTML. The worst part is you can't even get your money back because you already cracked the spine. You'd think publishers would at least put a sample chapter online so you can see how dumb it is before buying.

dylan_bell16d ago

$80? For a book that tells you how to double-click? That's insane. My buddy bought a "mastering excel" course that spent the first two hours on how to turn the computer on. I would have thrown the thing across the room and then glued the pages together just to make a point. Publishers really are just printing money off people's frustration, aren't they?