[Tutor] Learning Python

[Fred P]

Hey Everyone,

I am completely new at python, but not new to programming or  
scripting.  I have a couple of years of LUA scripting experience,  
about a year of C++ classes, and used to be very efficient at c-shell  
scripting in unix.

My question for you guys:

1) How do I get Started?

2) Recommend any specific Books?

3) Any online tutors/ forums that would benefit a newbie

4) Any online classes that teach python?  I have taken online c++  
courses, and found them helpful.  I was hoping to find something for  
python.

My main objective is to write scripts for the following type of  
applications
File management, file copies/syncs/ compares
Text manipulation - like parsing text files to replace or augment  
specific values
Integration into current applications to write redundant routines and  
maybe some day plugins

I am not even sure what else, but I do know that every time i think  
of something that we need at work, other people say, "That would be a  
good task for a python script"  and I would eventually like to be  
able to do something about that.

Thanks
Fred