David Beazley(Chicago, IL) has been programming Python since 1996, and helped pioneer the use of Python with scientific computing software while working at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Through his company, Dabeaz LLC, he provides software development, training, and consulting related to the practical use of dynamic programming languages such as Python, Ruby, and Perl, especially in systems programming. He is author of all previous editions of Python Essential Reference, and was contributing author of Steve Holden's Python Web Programming. Beazley holds a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Utah, and served as professor of computer science at the University of Chicago.