---
product_id: 452256928
title: "Python in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference"
brand: "alex martellianna martelli ravenscroftsteve holdenpaul mcguire"
price: "R2773"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 7
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/452256928-python-in-a-nutshell-a-desktop-quick-reference
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# Python in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference

**Brand:** alex martellianna martelli ravenscroftsteve holdenpaul mcguire
**Price:** R2773
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Python in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference by alex martellianna martelli ravenscroftsteve holdenpaul mcguire
- **How much does it cost?** R2773 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/452256928-python-in-a-nutshell-a-desktop-quick-reference)

## Best For

- alex martellianna martelli ravenscroftsteve holdenpaul mcguire enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted alex martellianna martelli ravenscroftsteve holdenpaul mcguire brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

Python in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference

## Images

![Python in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81LPalksj6L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Can't really live without this.
  

*by K***N on Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2023*

I'm a fossil, but I have actually moved mostly to e-books.  However, I purchase this because it looks so lovely sitting in the background of my zoom calls.Not really.  Rather expensive for decoration anyway.In reality, having this book is essential because it's like reading the dictionary when I was a kid.  I go to look up albatross, but there's albedo - I word I remember hearing but never really knew what it meant.  Just as with a map it's the same object you can see from across the room as you walk towards it to checkout one town, with this Nutshell book you can an overview of the whole of Python (through 3.11) filled with references to what tools and approaches are actually viable.  If there are four different ways to do something, which makes sense to pursue?The only criticism that I have (not because there aren't omissions or certain passages I'd take issue with - but they are far outweighed by the sound approach and scholarly efficiency) is that there is no section covering what's new.  There is, for example, an entire new chapter on Type Annotations - again an example of something I might not have noticed if I was just efficiently using it as a reference to look things up.I'm happy to say I've learned a lot from this book and I'm happy that the drought between the 2nd and 3rd Editions is a fading memory.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Excellent. Required reading for all senior Python developers.
  

*by A***T on Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2023*

Python in a Nutshell is an excellent book for professional developers who have some experience with Python but want to take the leap to being a senior Python developer, Python in a Nutshell is required reading.This is not a book for beginners new to programming, and I’d be hesitant to say that programmers experienced in other languages should use this book to learn Python (but if you’re the bold adventurous sort, have at it.) But if you want to fill out your Python knowledge and go beyond a developer who “kinda sorta” knows Python and copies and pastes Python code from Stack Overflow without much thought, this is a book you need to read.In a way, the title is a bit misleading. “In a nutshell” gives you the idea that this book is small, but it’s actually over 700 pages long. Rather, this book is compact: it doesn’t waste time covering the basics and is quite dense with useful information.The density of this book sometimes works against itself; there were quite a few times I had to carefully parse out the words and could have really used some example code to demonstrate the concepts. I understand why the authors skipped it: not everyone will need the additional explanation for every concept, and providing these examples would have doubled the page count. (For example, the object-oriented chapter led me to take quite a few breaks to test out what I had learned in the Python interactive shell just to make sure I understood what I read.) Suffice it to say, the information in the book is useful and accurate. It’s worth the time it sometimes takes to parse through the difficult concepts.Other times though, it’s a breeze. There’s quite a wide range of topics covered in this book, and I feel like they do a good job going deep enough into each one without losing the big picture. And quite frankly: a lot of the information in this book just plain isn’t easy to find online. Without this book, you’d be chasing endless search result links to blog posts of varying quality, all while still missing out of several topics. The real value of Python in a Nutshell is that it gathers all of this knowledge into one well-written book.Other books similar to Python in a Nutshell include Fluent Python by Luciano Ramahlo, Effective Python by Brett Slatkin, and Serious Python by Julien Danjou. I recommend reading all of these books though; while they have some overlap they complement rather than replace each other. If you’re experienced in a different language but want to learn Python, Python Distilled by David Beazley is a good book to read first for general Python information, and then followed up by Python in a Nutshell.Even as a software engineer with years of experience in Python myself, I kept finding little nuggets of information that has filled in gaps of my Python knowledge that I didn’t know I had. Again, it’s not a book for total beginners but don’t let that scare you off. As long as you have the basics of programming concepts and are generally comfortable writing Python code, go ahead and get started with Python in a Nutshell.

### ⭐ 1.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Binding quality has fallen off at O'Reilly.  Pages fall out with even mild use.
  

*by A***P on Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2023*

Have two O'Reilly texts that are a month old.  Both have started to have pages falling out.These are original O'Reilly printings, not third-party copies.

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/452256928-python-in-a-nutshell-a-desktop-quick-reference](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/452256928-python-in-a-nutshell-a-desktop-quick-reference)

---

*Product available on Desertcart South Africa*
*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-01-23*