Software & Technology review
Choosing Your First Programming Language review
A $17.99 ebook comparing beginner programming languages, sold under a doctorate that does not exist.
Pass
The question is real and beginners do agonise over it, so a short comparison has value. Two things undercut it. First, the answer is short enough to be free: pick Python for general use or JavaScript if you want things in a browser, and the choice matters far less than starting, which the book itself says. Second, language ecosystems move, and a static file bought today describes the state of things whenever it was written, with no date and no updates. The credit line repeats the coding cluster's invented degree, a PhD in Programming Languages Classification, one of three in this catalogue with the same fictional field.
- Price
- $17.99
- Billing
- One-time payment
- Best for
- Nobody: the comparison is short, free and better when current
- Not for
- Readers who need current ecosystem information
Choosing Your First Programming Language at a glance
The contents are an overview of popular beginner languages, matching a language to career or project goals, the pros and cons of starting with Python, JavaScript or C++, how the first language makes later ones easier, and first practical steps. It is an instant download of unstated length, priced $17.99 against a printed $47, with 60 days for a refund and no extras in the cart.
- Format
- Ebook, instant download after purchase
- Length
- Not stated: the order form gives no page count
- Contents
- An overview of the most popular programming languages for beginners; How to match a programming language with your career or project goals; Pros and cons of starting with Python, JavaScript, C++, and more; How learning one language makes others easier to pick up; Step-by-step advice for taking your very first steps in coding
- Price
- $17.99 one time, listed beside a regular price of $47
- Refund window
- 60 days on the order form
- Credited author
- Hina Sarwar
- Credited co-author
- Dr. Gertrude Lopez, described as holding a PhD in Programming Languages Classification with 39 years of experience
- Readership claim
- Claims 316700+ readers
- Sales page
- None: the Digistore24 order form is the only description
- Seller
- GhulamBooks, listed as the merchant on the Digistore24 order form; no website, address or phone number is given anywhere. Digistore24 Inc. is the reseller of record.
- Digistore24 ID
- 633827
Python, JavaScript, C++ and the rest
A comparison keyed to career and project goals, plus the point that the second language comes easier.
That last point is true and is the most useful thing in the book.
A moving target in a static file
Tooling, job demand and community support shift, and the file carries no date or update promise.
Community surveys and job boards answer the same question with current data, free.
The co-author's degree does not exist
The listing credits Dr. Gertrude Lopez with a PhD in Programming Languages Classification and 39 years of experience. No university awards a doctorate in that, and it is the pattern across all 84 titles from this seller: each book gets its own doctor with a PhD in exactly that book's subject.
Three of those names appear twice with different doctorates and different decades of experience, so the credentials are generated rather than held.
The rest of the numbers are decoration
Claims 316700+ readers, although the seller has no website, no catalogue page and no way to check. The $47 regular price sits next to $17.99 on every title in the catalogue and is never charged.
The reviews carry first names and US or European cities, which cannot be verified either.
Pros and cons
What works
- Addresses a real beginner worry
- Explains that the first choice matters least
- 60-day refund window on the order form
- Instant download, no add-ons in the cart
What does not
- No date or updates for a moving subject
- Free comparisons are current
- Co-author credited with a degree that does not exist
- Permanent $47 anchor price
- No sales page, author bio or sample
Choosing Your First Programming Language FAQ
Which language should I start with?
Python for general use, JavaScript for the browser, and starting matters more than the choice.
Is job market data included?
No current data is promised, and the file is undated.
How much does it cost?
$17.99 as a one-time payment, with no sales tax added for a US address.
Can I get a refund?
Yes, the order form shows a 60-day money-back window.
Who wrote it?
The listing credits Hina Sarwar, with Dr. Gertrude Lopez as co-author. Neither has a verifiable profile, and the doctorate given is not a real academic field.
The bottom line
The question is real and beginners do agonise over it, so a short comparison has value. Two things undercut it. First, the answer is short enough to be free: pick Python for general use or JavaScript if you want things in a browser, and the choice matters far less than starting, which the book itself says. Second, language ecosystems move, and a static file bought today describes the state of things whenever it was written, with no date and no updates. The credit line repeats the coding cluster's invented degree, a PhD in Programming Languages Classification, one of three in this catalogue with the same fictional field.
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