I'm working my way through LPTHW, and from what I can tell (I'm at exercise 35 now) most of these criticisms are now out of date with what he's currently teaching.
From what I understand, LPTHW was essentially a book/course that the author had written to help a friend with zero programming knowledge learn how to write code, so with that in mind I can let some of the criticisms go, namely the weird order in which things are taught compared to other beginner language books and the condescending tone. I can also let some of the naming conventions go, because the book is meant to be followed in a linear fashion.
Given that many of these criticisms are out of date, and given that Zed Shaw is teaching Python 3 despite having some strong opinions, it's entirely possible that Zed the person can continue to hold these opinions, but can swallow his pride enough to fix issues other experienced developers have found with the book, and has chosen to teach Python 3 without pushing an agenda.
As for my opinions on the book, as an experienced .NET developer trying to enter the Python/Linux world I find it a bit too basic at times. What I've really enjoyed has been the rote learning aspect. Paired with the videos for each chapter, forcing myself to write the code, follow the study drills, and then watch the video after each chapter to compare approaches has resulted in me retaining much of what has been taught. As a book it feels lacking, but as a packaged course it feels good.
Once I finish his course, I'll probably follow up with another Python book to fill any holes before I move onto any particular web framework stuff.
From what I understand, LPTHW was essentially a book/course that the author had written to help a friend with zero programming knowledge learn how to write code, so with that in mind I can let some of the criticisms go, namely the weird order in which things are taught compared to other beginner language books and the condescending tone. I can also let some of the naming conventions go, because the book is meant to be followed in a linear fashion.
Given that many of these criticisms are out of date, and given that Zed Shaw is teaching Python 3 despite having some strong opinions, it's entirely possible that Zed the person can continue to hold these opinions, but can swallow his pride enough to fix issues other experienced developers have found with the book, and has chosen to teach Python 3 without pushing an agenda.
As for my opinions on the book, as an experienced .NET developer trying to enter the Python/Linux world I find it a bit too basic at times. What I've really enjoyed has been the rote learning aspect. Paired with the videos for each chapter, forcing myself to write the code, follow the study drills, and then watch the video after each chapter to compare approaches has resulted in me retaining much of what has been taught. As a book it feels lacking, but as a packaged course it feels good.
Once I finish his course, I'll probably follow up with another Python book to fill any holes before I move onto any particular web framework stuff.