Programming Python was the first or second book on Python ever published, and it’s the only one of the early batch to endure to this day. I thank its author, Mark Lutz, for his unceasing efforts in keeping the book up-to-date, and its publisher, O’Reilly, for keeping the page count constant for this edition.

Some of my fondest memories are of the book’s first editor, the late Frank Willison. Without Frank’s inspiration and support, the first two editions would never have been. He would be proud of this third edition.

I must end in a fine tradition, with one of my favorite Monty Python quotes: “Take it away, Eric the orchestra leader!”