[book review] Python Cookbook 3rd Edition

This is a book review for Python Cookbook, 3rd Edition.

I have not met an O'Reilly cookbook that I don't like, this is no exception. Mr. Beazley's "Python Essential Reference" is one of the desktop reference book that I keep close, so I was looking forward to reading this book. One aspect that is unique to this edition is that it is meant to be work in Python 3, most recipes were created or re-written with Python 3 in mind. 

As with typical cookbooks, the book examples are probably not going to be the full solution to your problem, but solving a piece of the puzzle for you. At 700+ pages, the book is full of tips and best practices to allow one to work in the right direction in search of solutions. The reader can look at the appropriate modules deeper if needed be. Python has a large number of libraries, which is its blessing but finding the right library is sometimes half the battle. In this regard, narrowing down the libraries, say PySerial, for connecting thru serial interface can save you hours. 

I work with File I/O and Text a lot, so I especially enjoyed the two chapters on these topics. 5 stars for the book.