I just ducked down to Dymocks technical bookshop in Sydney, and bought a copy of Mark Pilgrim's Dive Into Python, thus bringing Mark one step closer to that important goal of recouping his advance.

On first examination, the book presents a significant problem to any prospective owner. While it has an attractively designed cover and a nice, self-deprecating blurb by the author on the back, the book is entirely the wrong size.

Unlike most computer books, it is far too light to be used as a weapon, and not thick enough to raise a monitor to eye-level. Nevertheless, it is not nearly thin enough to be used to prop up one leg of a wobbly table. I can only imagine this is a massive oversight on the part of the publisher, who should know by now what most computer books are really used for.

Given its complete uselessness for any other purpose, I may be forced to read it.