Python Essential Reference (2nd Edition) by David Beazley

Python Essential Reference, Second Edition, is the definitive guide to the Python programming language. Designed for programmers, it covers the core language, more than 100 modules in the standard library, and the techniques used to extend Python with compiled procedures in C or C++. Coverage expands upon and clarifies existing Python documentation - especially for advanced topics, including operating system interfaces, threads, network programming, and Unicode. Concise, to the point, and extensively indexed, readers will find this volume packed with information not previously available in any other single reference source. Updated for Python 2.1, it is a must-have for any serious programmer wanting to develop advanced Python applications.