Act as a senior NLP engineer with 5+ years of experience in Python and machine learning. Create a beginner-friendly tutorial that introduces the core concepts of natural language processing (NLP) using Python. Cover the following topics: [tokenization], [sentiment analysis], and [named entity recognition]. Provide clear code examples using libraries like [NLTK] or [spaCy], and explain each step in simple terms. Include a practical exercise where learners analyze a [sample text dataset] to apply these techniques. Ensure the tutorial is engaging, well-structured, and suitable for readers with basic Python knowledge but no prior NLP experience.