I would recommend starting with www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld . He has a particularly good way of communicating the basics of Python. Also available in a book if he needs that. PDF available from the website.
www.bookpool.com has a large selection of books on Python. The "Python: How to Program" is a good choice (IMO). (I got the book & CD combo - I could have done without the CD. Basically the same as the book. Wasn't worth the extra price to me.) Awaretek does have a good list of tutorials. FYI, if your friend is really wanting to learn programming, have him/her check out www.htdp.org. Although it is scheme-language based, I think they do a great job teaching real programming principals that can be applied to Python - once you get the language down. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
