The author does a good job of presenting enough background
material , such that anyone with a basic understanding of Python and SQL should
be able to easily follow the book. As stated in the preface it goes deeper than
the available tutorials, and though it does include descriptions of SQLAlchemy
api's, I found it leaves some details out that will need to be figured out by
the reader. There are a few cases where it wasn't clear what default values for
a few of the defined parameters. Most of
the descriptions include examples of code which help understanding all the
nuances of SQLAlchemy.
I found the book moves at a good pace, it presents a complex subject in a clear manner and is an excellent way to get started and understand how to use a truly great product. A good investment for anyone needing to manage data and build good OO applications.