There have been lots of recommendations for the O'Reilly book, which is a good one. However, I would recommend "Beginning Python" by Magnus Lie Hetland. All I knew before starting Python was Mathematica, and this book was very helpful. It may seem to start out slow, but I've found that I'm going back to those first chapters occasionally to review and practice the syntax. It, and this group, have carried me through some pretty tough problems (for me anyway). It's been worth it. Good luck.
Jake -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
