State of Python

[Steven Rumbalski]

John Howard wrote:

> Also, my local Borders bookstore has practically eliminated Python
> books from its shelves. Everything seems to be Perl and/or Java.

I've noticed the same, but I think the cause is that Borders is stocking 
less computer books.  The computer section at the Borders I go to recently 
shuffled the computer books so that of the eight shelves available in the 
bookcase only the top two and bottom two are filled.  The middle three have 
books one deep displayed front cover side out.  So the three shelves are 
holding about one half of a shelf of books between them.

I beleive that there is a sound business reason for this reduction of 
inventory.  Something like this would be plausible.  If we assume that 95% 
of book sales are of 5% of books in print, it would make very little sense 
to stock anything but the 5% of books in print that most people want.  If 
the book store doubles it inventory to represent 10% of books in print it 
may only be able to attract a few more sales.  Hardly worth the investment.  
(Of course I'm not sure who owns the books on the shelves-- the publisher 
or the store.)

I too have noticed a decrease in the number of Python books at Borders.  
Recently I had been eagerly awaiting the opportunity of flipping through 
_Python In a Nutshell_ to see if it was worth buying. (Actually I knew it 
was worth buying but I enjoy the hemming and hawing of pretending to 
deliberate.)  It was not in the Python section.  Correction: it was not 
with the four other Python books on the "Other Programming Languages" 
shelf.  

However, I did find a Deitel & Deitel book and bought it instead.  The only 
thing better than an O'Reilly Nutshell book is a Deitel & Deitel book.  I 
feel I'm well on my to mastering Python with Deitel & Deitel.  

By the way, I'm kidding about purchasing the Deitel & Deitel book (but it 
was on the shelf).

So where was I?  Oh yes, searching for _Python In a Nutshell_.  I then 
looked for an O'Reilly section--no luck.  I did a title-sleuth search and 
saw that there was a copy in store.  I did a visual scan of the entire 
computer section looking for Nutshell books--still no luck.  I repeated the 
title-sleuth search and visual scan for three days.  I also wandered the 
bookstore looking for a table display of computer books--all completely 
fruitless.

In all this I never thought to ask Border's staff for help.  I figure they 
keep all there stock on the shelves except for the stuff that needs to be 
replenished frequently.  I finally went out on a limb and went to the 
reptiles section.  

It wasn't there.  

I then went to Barnes & Noble, where I found it immediately and purchased 
it.


Steven Rumbalski