Think Python, Direct AI

Computational Thinking for Beginners

A revolutionary approach to learning Python by partnering with AI to build mental models, understand concepts, and architect solutions.

Author

Michael Borck

Published

December 7, 2026

Preface

Think Python, Direct AI

A Revolutionary Approach to Learning Python

Welcome to Think Python, Direct AI: Computational Thinking for Beginners – a groundbreaking approach to programming education that embraces AI as your learning partner rather than avoiding it.

Why This Book Is Different

Traditional programming books were written for a world where students coded alone. This book is written for our reality – where AI can generate code in seconds. But here’s the crucial insight: generating code isn’t the same as understanding programming.

This book teaches you to: - Think like a programmer, not just code like one - Architect solutions that AI can help you build - Understand concepts deeply, not just make things work - Partner with AI effectively, knowing when and how to use it

About This Book’s Creation

In the spirit of transparency and demonstrating the very principles it teaches, this book was created through human-AI collaboration. Every chapter, example, and exercise represents a partnership between human expertise (Michael Borck) and AI assistance (Claude from Anthropic), with careful human oversight ensuring pedagogical effectiveness and accuracy.

This isn’t just a book about learning with AI – it’s a book created with AI, showing that when used thoughtfully, AI enhances rather than replaces human creativity and expertise.

Your Learning Journey

Over 12 weeks, you’ll progress from understanding basic computational concepts to architecting complex systems. More importantly, you’ll develop the critical skill for our era: knowing how to think about problems so clearly that you can guide AI to help you solve them.

Welcome to the future of programming education. Let’s learn together.

# Preface {.unnumbered} ## A Revolutionary Approach to Learning Python Welcome to *Think Python, Direct AI: Computational Thinking for Beginners* – a groundbreaking approach to programming education that embraces AI as your learning partner rather than avoiding it. ### Why This Book Is Different Traditional programming books were written for a world where students coded alone. This book is written for our reality – where AI can generate code in seconds. But here's the crucial insight: **generating code isn't the same as understanding programming**. This book teaches you to: - **Think** like a programmer, not just code like one - **Architect** solutions that AI can help you build - **Understand** concepts deeply, not just make things work - **Partner** with AI effectively, knowing when and how to use it ### About This Book's Creation In the spirit of transparency and demonstrating the very principles it teaches, this book was created through human-AI collaboration. Every chapter, example, and exercise represents a partnership between human expertise (Michael Borck) and AI assistance (Claude from Anthropic), with careful human oversight ensuring pedagogical effectiveness and accuracy. This isn't just a book *about* learning with AI – it's a book *created* with AI, showing that when used thoughtfully, AI enhances rather than replaces human creativity and expertise. ### Your Learning Journey Over 12 weeks, you'll progress from understanding basic computational concepts to architecting complex systems. More importantly, you'll develop the critical skill for our era: knowing how to think about problems so clearly that you can guide AI to help you solve them. Welcome to the future of programming education. Let's learn together. ### Related Resources This guide is part of a 4-book series designed to help you master modern software development in the AI era: **Think Python, Direct AI: Computational Thinking for Beginners** (this book) - An innovative programming textbook that embraces AI as a learning partner. Master Python by learning how to think computationally and direct AI to help you build solutions. Perfect for absolute beginners in the age of AI. **Code Python, Consult AI: Python Fundamentals for the AI Era**: Learn fundamental Python with AI integration - ideal for those who want a focused introduction to Python fundamentals **Conversation, Not Delegation: Mastering Human-AI Development**: A methodology for effective AI collaboration (human oversight + methodology + LLM = success) **Ship It: Python in Production**: Build professional-grade Python applications with modern tools (uv, ruff, mypy, pytest - simple but not simplistic) **Book Progression**: Start with "Think Python, Direct AI" if you're a complete beginner, or jump into "Code Python, Consult AI" if you want a more focused approach to Python fundamentals. Both books prepare you for the production-focused content in "Ship It: Python in Production," while "Conversation, Not Delegation" provides the AI collaboration methodology that enhances all your development work.