Reddit mentions of Python Cookbook

Considering that it's still in print it's at least in the neighborhood of relevant.

The Python Cookbook -- a new version is expected in December.

the python cookbook has some neat projects, but it's a bit outdated with python 2.4.

Pick a project and start using it. If you have any sort of programming background then this shouldn't be too hard. I find it very difficult to learn a programming language when I'm not working on a specific project. Working through examples in a book only goes so far.

Refer to the Python Tutorial when you need help. Pick up a book like the Python Cookbook for solutions to some common problems.

Sorry, it was hard to gather what you meant by 'practical.' What about this?

A lot of it is just practice, particularly these sorts of things as it takes a bit of time to get used to recasting (at least if you come from other languages). Your solution was just short of being the same as the top answer, except that the top answer took advantage of two python tricks: You can str(an int) to get a string, and strings are iterable, with each character being returned by next.

For a great resource on these sorts of things, check out the python cookbook: http://www.amazon.com/Python-Cookbook-Alex-Martelli/dp/0596007973

Sometimes it helps to be an old fart who has read excellent old books by Alex Martelli: Python in a Nutshell and Python Cookbook.

that would be very great, but maybe it needs a pretty loooong weekend. Python Cookbook DO offers a wealth of useful code for all Python programmers.