Think Like a Programmer, Solve Problems Step by Step

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Learning to program is really learning to think.

Most beginners copy code they don't fully understand — and get stuck the moment the problem changes. This book teaches the logic first: breaking problems down, describing solutions in plain language, pseudocode, and flowcharts, tracing code by hand, and only then writing it in Python, a friendly language that reads almost like English. Every chapter ends with graded exercises and fully worked solutions, so you build real problem-solving skill, not just familiarity.

• 497 pages · 28 chapters + 4 appendices
• Decomposition, algorithms, pseudocode, flowcharts, and trace tables
• Variables, operators, decisions, Boolean logic, and loops — explained step by step
• Functions, strings, lists, dictionaries, and sets
• Classic patterns: accumulators, searching, sorting, recursion, and grids
• Validation, debugging, testing, and an intuitive introduction to Big-O
• Graded exercises ([Easy], [Medium], [Challenge]) with worked solutions in every chapter
• Mini projects and a complete case study: a small library system

Table Of Contents

Part I — Thinking Like a Programmer

• Ch 1 · What Programming Logic Is and Why It Matters
• Ch 2 · Breaking Problems Down: Decomposition, Patterns, and Abstraction
• Ch 3 · Algorithms in Plain Language: Pseudocode and Flowcharts
• Ch 4 · Getting Set Up: Running Python and Tracing Code by Hand
• Ch 5 · Values, Variables, and Types

Part II — Core Logic

• Ch 6 · Expressions and Operators: Arithmetic, Comparison, and Logic
• Ch 7 · Making Decisions: if, elif, else, and Nested Conditions
• Ch 8 · Boolean Logic in Depth: Truth Tables, De Morgan's Laws, and Simplifying Conditions
• Ch 9 · Repetition with while Loops: Designing Loops That End
• Ch 10 · Counting Loops: for, range, and Nested Loops

Part III — Organizing Logic

• Ch 11 · Functions: Breaking Programs into Reusable Pieces
• Ch 12 · Parameters, Return Values, and Scope
• Ch 13 · Working with Text: Strings and Character Logic
• Ch 14 · Lists: Storing and Processing Collections
• Ch 15 · Dictionaries, Sets, and Choosing the Right Structure

Part IV — Classic Problem-Solving Patterns

• Ch 16 · Accumulators: Counting, Summing, Averages, Minimum, and Maximum
• Ch 17 · Searching: Linear Search, Binary Search, and Finding Things
• Ch 18 · Sorting: How Sorting Algorithms Work
• Ch 19 · Recursion: Solving Problems with Smaller Versions of Themselves
• Ch 20 · Grids and Tables: Working with Two-Dimensional Data

Part V — Writing Reliable Logic

• Ch 21 · Validating Input and Handling Bad Data
• Ch 22 · Debugging: Finding and Fixing Logic Errors
• Ch 23 · Testing Your Logic: Test Cases, Edge Cases, and Simple Automated Tests
• Ch 24 · Efficiency: An Intuitive Introduction to Big-O
• Ch 25 · State and Simulation: Step-by-Step Processes and State Machines

Part VI — Putting It All Together

• Ch 26 · Problem-Solving Strategies: From Puzzle to Program
• Ch 27 · Mini Projects: Games and Everyday Tools
• Ch 28 · Case Study: Building the Sparrow Street Library System

Appendices

• App A · Logic and Python Cheat Sheet
• App B · Problem-Solving Patterns and Templates
• App C · Debugging and Self-Review Checklist
• App D · Glossary

WHO IT IS FOR
Complete beginners, students in a first programming course, career changers and self-taught learners, and anyone who wants stronger problem-solving skills before learning more languages.

FORMAT
PDF (A4), 497 pages, English, clickable table of contents and PDF bookmarks. 1st Edition, 2026. Published by thenexbooks.

Book details