[Tutor] Python books: buying advice needed

[Kent Johnson]

David Stotijn wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I'm planning on buying a book to help me learn Python. Some of the books 
> I'm considering are a few years old and based on an older version of 
> Python (e.g. 2.3).
> Is it wise to buy a book based on an older version? Are the principles 
> and methods used in those books outdated by now?

2.3 is not that old. The basics of Python change slowly, especially the beginner-level stuff. The later versions introduce refinements, convenience features and new, advanced stuff; they don't generally break much or change the overall 'feel' of Python. I don't know if there are any books out yet that cover 2.4.

> Ideally, the book I'm looking for has some "best practice" guidelines 
> and alot of example code.
> 
> Do you have any tips?

I like _Learning Python_

Kent