The code examples that are provided along with these chapters don't require you to master Python. However, they will assume that you've previously obtained a working knowledge of at least the basics of Python scripting. They will also assume, in particular, that you know about data structures, such as lists and dictionaries, and that you have an idea about how to make class objects work.
If you don't feel confident about the aforementioned subject or have minimal knowledge of the Python language, we suggest that before you start reading this book, you should take an online tutorial, such as the Code Academy course at http://www.codecademy.com/en/tracks/python, Google's Python class at https://developers.google.com/edu/python/, or the course offered by Kaggle at https://www.kaggle.com/learn/python. All the courses are free...