It was one of the first books I used to learn Python. While it wasnt terribly expansive or in depth I do think the shorntess of each chapter is a good thing. It doesnt go in depth about obscure potentialities because it just gives you a firm grasp on the basics. Its definitely a foundational book that requires a more thorough follow up book if you want to really get into python and programming. Python the Hard way would be excellent for beginners if studied in tandem with the python pocket reference by O'reilly.
The thing about programming is that one book isnt going to teach you everything you want to know. So its important to find the best foundational books and expand from there. Lay some solid brickwork and you are golden.
