new to python - looking for a good book

[Martin Maney]

Peter Ballard <pballard at ozemail.com.au> wrote:
> Why should I buy any of these books when I've got the (free) official
> Python documentation downloaded, and always just a click or two away?

Because some of them - the Cookbook comes forcefully to mind for me -
cover material that the regular docs don't touch on; the difference
between what the language allows and how best to use those facilities. 
Others, even the so-called "Bible" which I found wanting in its
thoroughness of coverage, can illuminate the features and libraries
with well-crafted small examples that are rarely present in the more
reference-like documentation.  And even books that are not at first
glance much more than a printed version of the online docs (although
_Essential Reference_ always seemed more useful to me, especially back
when I was working with its first edition and Python 1.5) have some
portability and usability advantages if one is not attached to his
computer at the waist.  :-)

At least those are the sorts of reasons that come to my mind.

-- 
We reject kings, presidents, and voting.
We believe in rough consensus
and running code. -- David Clarke