gistfile1.txt

box[box.find("(")+1:box.find(")")]

>>> box = 'BOX(-71.1608660012332 42.3537910000038,-71.1237350012334 42.3727380000039)'
>>> print box
BOX(-71.1608660012332 42.3537910000038,-71.1237350012334 42.3727380000039)
>>> print box[s.find("(")+1:box.find(")")]
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
NameError: name 's' is not defined
>>> print box[box.find("(")+1:box.find(")")]
-71.1608660012332 42.3537910000038,-71.1237350012334 42.3727380000039
>>> box =  box[box.find("(")+1:box.find(")")]
>>> print box
-71.1608660012332 42.3537910000038,-71.1237350012334 42.3727380000039
>>> box_list = [x.strip() for x in box.split(',')]
>>> print box_list
['-71.1608660012332 42.3537910000038', '-71.1237350012334 42.3727380000039']
>>> minvalues = [x.strip() for x in box.split(' ')]
>>> print minvalues
['-71.1608660012332', '42.3537910000038,-71.1237350012334', '42.3727380000039']
>>> print box_list
['-71.1608660012332 42.3537910000038', '-71.1237350012334 42.3727380000039']
>>> minvalues = [x.strip() for x in box_list[0].split(' ')]
>>> print minvalues
['-71.1608660012332', '42.3537910000038']
>>> maxvalues = [x.strip() for x in box_list[1].split(' ')]
>>> print maxvalues
['-71.1237350012334', '42.3727380000039']