Allen B. Downey wrote:How to Think... is a Free Book available under the GNU Free Documentation License. Readers are free to copy and distribute the text; they are also free to modify it, which allows them to adapt the book to different needs, and to help develop new material.

Jeffrey Elkner wrote:This book was based on Allen Downey's How to Think Like a Computer Scientist, a clear and helpful first-year computer science textbook, which was also released under GNU Free Documentation License. The book's goal is to teach you to think like a computer scientist. This way of thinking combines some of the best features of mathematics, engineering, and natural science.

Python was chosen to translate Allen's original Java version because it provides a really nice balance between the practical and the conceptual. Since Python is interpreted, beginners can pick up the language and start doing neat things almost immediately without getting lost in the problems of compilation and linking. Furthermore, Python comes with a large library of modules that can be used to do all sorts of tasks ranging from web-programming to graphics. Having such a practical focus is a great way to engage students and it allows them to complete significant projects.