Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, 3rd Edition
  • Published: 23 September 2025
  • ISBN: 9781718503403
  • Imprint: No Starch
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 672
  • RRP: $95.00

Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, 3rd Edition

Pre-order from…
The Nile Mighty Ape BookHub Whitcoulls The Warehouse Paper Plus Fishpond Book Hero Unity Books University Book Shop Find Local Retailers

The bestselling introduction to Python programming, revised to include the latest Python features, improved explanations, and new chapters about databases and sound files.

The bestselling introduction to Python programming, revised to include the latest Python features, improved explanations, and new chapters about databases and sound files.

If you’ve ever spent hours renaming files or updating hundreds of spreadsheet cells, you know how tedious tasks like these can be. But what if you could have your computer do this work for you?

In this fully revised third edition of Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, you’ll learn how to use Python to write programs that do in minutes what would take you hours to do by hand—no prior programming experience required. Early chapters will teach you the fundamentals of Python through clear explanations and engaging examples. You’ll write your first Python program; work with strings, lists, dictionaries, and other data structures; then use regular expressions to find and manipulate text patterns. 

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll tackle projects that teach you to use Python to automate tasks like:

  • Searching the web, downloading content, and filling out forms
  • Finding, extracting, and manipulating text and data in files and spreadsheets
  • Copying, moving, renaming, or compressing saved files on your computerSplitting, merging, and extracting text from PDFs and Word documents
  • Interacting with applications through custom mouse and keyboard macros
  • Managing your inbox, unsubscribing from lists, and sending email or text notifications

New to this edition: All code and examples have been thoroughly updated. You’ll also find four new chapters on database integration, speech recognition, and audio and video editing, as well as 16 new programming projects and expanded coverage of developer techniques like creating command line programs.

Don’t spend your time on work a well-trained monkey could do. Even if you’ve never written a line of code, you can pass off that grunt work to your computer. Learn how in Automate the Boring Stuff with Python.
  • Published: 23 September 2025
  • ISBN: 9781718503403
  • Imprint: No Starch
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 672
  • RRP: $95.00
Categories:

Also by AL SWEIGART

The Recursive Book of Recursion
The Big Book of Small Python Projects
Scratch Programming Playground, 2nd Edition (Scratch 3)
Beyond the Basic Stuff with Python
Coding With Minecraft
Cracking Codes with Python
Invent Your Own Computer Games With Python, 4e
See all

Praise for Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, 3rd Edition

Reviews from the 2nd edition:

“If you are new to Python, get this book. ... If you lie in the category of experienced Pythonistas and haven’t read this book, you should also take out some time and read it.”

—The Startup, Medium

"I think many educational resources jump levels way too quickly. One of the best I ever used was Automate the Boring Stuff with Python - that book stayed at the right level the whole way!""

—Oscar Baruffa, @OscarBaruffa

"The best part of programming is the triumph of seeing the machine do something useful. Automate the Boring Stuff with Python frames all of programming as these small triumphs; it makes the boring fun.”

—Hilary Mason, Founder of Fast Forward Labs and Data Scientist in Residence at Accel

“I’m having a lot of fun breaking things and then putting them back together, and just remembering the joy of turning a set of instructions into something useful and fun, like I did when I was a kid.”

—Wil Wheaton, American actor and writer

“Do you need Automate the Boring Stuff with Python? Yes, if you want to enhance your workflow by using automation, this is an excellent place to start. Highly recommended.”

—Network World

“Valuable to have on your shelf...an extremely useful book.”

—Kids, Code, and Computer Science Magazine

“Written in easy to understand language with a gentle approach...Automate the Boring Stuff with Python is the perfect manual to get your computer doing the busywork.”

—Games Fiends

"Automate the Boring Stuff with Python is perfect for anyone who has menial tasks they don't want to spend hours doing."

—GeekMom

"Whether you prefer working through a book, or learning by watching, or both together, Automate the Boring Stuff will have you productive in Python in no time."

—Serdar Yegulalp, Info World

"If you seriously want to know how much Python helps with automation, my favorite place is the Automate Boring Stuff with Python book, a simply awesome book."

—Javin Paul, Hacker Noon

"One of the best books for learning Python."

—Giles McMullen-Klein, FlickThrough Reviews

"With lessons on how to use Python to program Excel spreadsheets, crawl websites, parse PDFs and Word documents, send emails, and other productivity-boosting task automation, it's a stellar resource for office workers, academics, and administrators."

—Mashable

"This is certainly a much more engaging way to learn Python . . . it gets you all excited by the prospect of making cool little programs that will save you time."

—Andrew Lau, AndrewLauActuary.com

"I've found both the book and Udemy course to be really helpful."

—Mark S, @Awful_Curious

"Best Python book you can buy today."

—Rodrigo Ribeiro, @mcapablanca