Top 5 Books

1. Learning Python

by Mark Lutz and David Ascher (O'Reilly) A good book for those who have never programmed before and who want to learn Python.

2. Dive Into Python

Mark Pilgrim (Apress) For those who have been around computers for a little while, this book takes you from basics to advanced topics and makes it (almost) painless.

3. Python Essential Reference

David M Beazley (Sams) A "must have" volume. Beazley offers succinct descriptions of all aspects of Python and the major Python libraries. If you have experience programming and want to learn Python, this book also offers an excellent tutorial introduction.

4. Programming Python

Mark Lutz (O'Reilly) Without a doubt, the physically heaviest book on Python for sale anywhere. This 1255 page tome covers just about every aspect of Python you can think of, including Jython, Tkinter, web interfaces, and databases.

5. Mastering Regular Expressions

Jeffrey E. F. Friedl (O'Reilly) A modern classic, this book covers in detail how different programming languages treat regular expressions. While not about Python exclusively, it covers Python as well as Perl, Ruby, Java, and other languages.