About the Learning Python Cover

Another answer to a frequently asked question: here's an explanation I recently posted on comp.lang.python, about the animal on the cover of the book Learning Python.

You wrote:
: Well, I think it has to be an animal.  So why not picture the
: animal from which spam is made?

I wanted a pig too, but alas, it was not meant to be (it showed up
on the Stopping Spam book before we had a chance to grab it).

For what it's worth, David and I both balked at the wood rat (really,
a Neotoma, family Muridae) at first.  But Edie Freedman's rationale
grew on us--it's a small animal, which must learn about Pythons
in order to avoid becoming their dinner.  Say what you will of
Neotomas, but that seems to capture the essence of the book well.

Besides, it made for an arguably hilarious colophon description for
the back of the book (posted at 
 http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/lpython/colophon.html ).

--Mark "attracted to shiny objects" Lutz  (http://learning-python.com)

Back to my Learning Python page
Back to my homepage

Books

Code

Blog

Python

Author

Train

Find