Femi A writes:
I just got your book: Python for kids and I’m excited to start reading it. I am 36 years old and I would like to learn computer programming. I figure python would be a good place to start. Is it possible to become an expert at python in 6 months with intensive efforts? And if it is can you please let me know how to go about that, the steps to take etc...
I would say this isn't necessarily a Python, nor even a general computer programming question. It's more a question about how you define expertise, what that means from a learning perspective, and what your goals really are. If you define expertise in terms of Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hour rule and spend 4-5 hours a day at it, you'll be an "expert" in 6 years or so [1]. So if your goal is to call yourself an "expert", then that's probably your timeline.
If your goal is to develop some software, make a meaningful contribution to an open source project, or something along those lines, and are well motivated, it's certainly possible to do that, and more, with 6 months of dedicated effort. So, how to get to the point where you're at least confident in your coding? Start with a beginners book, funnel that knowledge in developing a few simple projects to build your experience; then perhaps look for a more advanced Python book (O'Reilly's Python Cookbook might be a good option), followed by some more advanced projects, again for the experience. Just remember, it's more important to be coding than reading about it.
Hope that helps.
[1]: Also see this Business Insider article for a counterpoint to the 10K hour principle.