This book holds some genuinely valuable content, especially in its explanations of Pydantic and SQLAlchemy's Core and ORM capabilities. However, I found it a challenging read due to significant structural and presentational issues.
One of the primary frustrations was the lack of coherent chapter structure. Chapters are excessively short, leading to considerable repetition in introductions, conclusions, and even code examples. This fragmented approach made it difficult to maintain focus and absorb new concepts effectively. With a more thoughtful organization, the author could have dedicated more space to in-depth explanations and to weaving together the overarching themes, creating a more cohesive and engaging learning experience.
Furthermore, the code examples, while numerous, often fell short in clarifying new concepts or functions. They frequently appeared without adequate contextualization or scenario framing, resulting in long stretches of very similar code with minimal accompanying explanation. This made the book feel more like a handbook of code snippets rather than a comprehensive textbook designed to teach and build understanding.
Finally, the absence of a table of contents or an index is a significant drawback. This omission severely hampers the book's utility as a reference tool, making it incredibly difficult to locate specific examples or revisit key information for future use.
In summary, while the core material has merit, the book's structural deficiencies, repetitive nature, and inadequate explanation of code examples ultimately hindered its effectiveness.