I get a lot of requests for book recommendations, especially at the local user groups. Here are a few of my picks that I often recommend.

• Web
• Python
• Data and Databases
• Save Paper

Buying stuff linked here supports my work on SQLAlchemy and other open source projects, as well as the Portland Python User Group.

Web

• 
  • Goodman, D. (2006). Dynamic HTML (3rd ed.)

  The go-to reference for (X)HTML, DOM, CSS, and JavaScript. Leads with a few short chapters of terse, high-value prose laying conceptual groundwork, followed by a thousand pages of well indexed and smartly organized reference material. The only web book you need on your shelf.

  
  

  O'Reilly recently sent me The Ultimate CSS Reference for the Portland Python user group. It's a very sexy book and shares many positive traits with Dynamic HTML. You might consider it if all you need is a CSS reference.

Python

• 
  • Beazley, D. (2006). Python Essential Reference (3rd ed.)

  The best Python learning and reference book I've seen. Concise and well written. Programmers are the intended audience for this book, and you won't find yourself skipping the first 100 pages to get to something of use. My copy still has little post-it flags marking favorite sections when I was learning Python, and they're all in the first 100 pages. The flags say "__magic__", "map/zip", and "standard exceptions".

  
  

  The bulk of pages 100+ covers the standard library, in a manner that's similar to but slightly superior to Python's own docs. If I were going to refresh my memory on something like BaseHTTPServer & friends I would probably still turn to this book first.

Data and Databases

• 
  • Harrington, J. (2003). SQL: Clearly Explained (2nd ed.)

  Exactly what the title claims. Does a great job of explaining the roots of relational algebra with engaging, math-less examples using queries and result sets to illustrate relational and set concepts. The coverage is useful rather than preachy, and is intertwined with SQL content in a very natural way.

  
  

  (I have the 1st edition.)

• 
  • Schmidt, B. (1999) Data Modeling for Information Professionals

  An awesome resource for anyone in any profession who needs to think critically about information and its structure. A very approachable book that teaches readers how to analyze their domain knowledge and treat it systematically.

  
  

  A friend of mine with limited-to-no relational database or programming experience read this book and then designed a non-trivial database, correctly. I'd buy a zillion copies of this book and hand them out like candy if I could.

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  • Hay, D. C. (1996). Data Model Patterns, Conventions of Thought
  • Fowler, M. (1997). Analysis Patterns

  Excellent domain knowledge and ready-to-implement schemas for business automation, including accounting and ledgers. Remember, all this has happened before and will happen again.

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  • Celko, J. (2004). Trees and Hierarchies in SQL for Smarties

  Covers many strategies for efficiently modeling trees and hierarchies. Consult this before you start building!

• • The SQL 92 Standard .txt
  • The SQL 2003 Standard .PDFs

  Because "Well, Postgres has it..." doesn't mean it's SQL.

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• • Safari Books Online

  Many technical books are obsolete almost immediately. Skip paper- rent books on-line. But check with your {company, public, school} library first, as you may already have access to Safari.

  Thanks to Safari, my physical computer bookcase now holds only classic and timeless volumes. And I'm down to only one bookcase.