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EnglishHow can I use and access the free books from Green Tea Press?
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Green Tea Press publishes books by Allen B. Downey, including Think Python, Think Bayes, and others, under free licenses that let you copy, distribute, and modify the text. You can access them in a variety of electronic formats, and some titles are also sold in hard copy. If you want to adapt a book for a course, translate it, or build new material from it, the license already permits that — you do not need to request permission first.
What the free license allows
According to the site, the books are available under free licenses that allow you to:
- Copy the text
- Distribute it
- Modify it, so you can adapt the books to different needs
- Help develop new material based on them
This is broader than "read online for free." It means you can reuse and remix the content, which is useful if you teach a course, run a study group, or want to extend a chapter with your own examples.
How to access the books
The books are offered in a variety of electronic formats. The site does not list a single download page in the material provided, so the practical path is to start from the Green Tea Press homepage and follow the link for the specific title you want.
Some titles are also for sale in hard copy. That means you have two options for the same book: a free electronic version, and a paid physical version if you prefer paper.
Titles available
The homepage groups the books mainly by topic. The titles named on the site include:
| Title | Subject |
|---|---|
| Think Python: How to Think Like a Computer Scientist | Introduction to programming with Python; 3rd edition includes guidance on learning to program with virtual assistants like ChatGPT |
| Data Structures and Information Retrieval in Python | Data structures organized around building a search engine |
| Elements of Data Science | Introduction to data science for people with no programming experience; includes Jupyter notebooks |
| Think Bayes: Bayesian Statistics in Python | Bayesian statistics using simple Python programs |
| Think Stats: Exploratory Data Analysis | Exploratory data analysis with NumPy, SciPy, Pandas, and StatsModels |
| Astronomical Data in Python | Working with astronomical data, including SQL joins, Astropy, Pandas, units, and visualization; includes Jupyter notebooks |
| Think DSP: Digital Signal Processing in Python | DSP with applications to sound and image processing |
| Think Complexity 2e: Exploring Complexity Science with Python | Complexity science, including small-world graphs and scale-free networks |
The second edition of Think Python is also still available on the site.
A practical way to use them
If you are learning on your own, a workable approach is:
- Pick the title that matches your goal — for example, Think Python if you are new to programming, or Think Stats if you already write some Python and want to work with real data.
- Open the electronic version and check whether it includes Jupyter notebooks. Elements of Data Science and Astronomical Data in Python both do, which means you can read the text, run the code, and do exercises in the same place.
- If you plan to teach or adapt the material, note that the license already covers modification, so you can reorganize chapters or replace examples without seeking separate approval.
Supporting the project
The site asks readers who enjoy the free versions to consider buying the author a coffee. This is optional and separate from the license — the books remain free to copy, distribute, and modify regardless.
What is not stated
The provided material does not specify prices for the hard-copy editions, which electronic formats are offered for each title, or whether any content requires a login. Treat those details as unconfirmed until you check the individual book page.