diff --git a/firebase/__init__.py b/firebase/__init__.py
index 81e94a6..4a5cd03 100644
--- a/firebase/__init__.py
+++ b/firebase/__init__.py
@@ -1,18 +1,19 @@
 import requests
-import urlparse #for urlparse and urljoin
-import os #for os.path.dirname
-import json #for dumps
+import urlparse  # for urlparse and urljoin
+import os  # for os.path.dirname
+import json  # for dumps
 
+session = requests.Session()
 
 
 class Firebase():
-    ROOT_URL = '' #no trailing slash
+    ROOT_URL = ''  # no trailing slash
 
     def __init__(self, root_url, auth_token=None):
         self.ROOT_URL = root_url.rstrip('/')
         self.auth_token = auth_token
 
-    #These methods are intended to mimic Firebase API calls.
+    # These methods are intended to mimic Firebase API calls.
 
     def child(self, path):
         root_url = '%s/' % self.ROOT_URL
@@ -21,17 +22,15 @@ def child(self, path):
 
     def parent(self):
         url = os.path.dirname(self.ROOT_URL)
-        #If url is the root of your Firebase, return None
+        # If url is the root of your Firebase, return None
         up = urlparse.urlparse(url)
         if up.path == '':
-            return None #maybe throw exception here?
+            return None  # maybe throw exception here?
         return Firebase(url)
 
     def name(self):
         return os.path.basename(self.ROOT_URL)
 
-    def toString(self):
-        return self.__str__()
     def __str__(self):
         return self.ROOT_URL
 
@@ -47,33 +46,29 @@ def update(self, data):
     def remove(self):
         return self.delete()
 
-    
-    #These mirror REST API functionality
-
     def put(self, data):
-        return self.__request('put', data = data)
+        return self.__request('put', data=data)
 
     def patch(self, data):
-        return self.__request('patch', data = data)
+        return self.__request('patch', data=data)
 
     def get(self):
         return self.__request('get')
 
-    #POST differs from PUT in that it is equivalent to doing a 'push()' in
-    #Firebase where a new child location with unique name is generated and
-    #returned
+    # POST differs from PUT in that it is equivalent to doing a 'push()' in
+    # Firebase where a new child location with unique name is generated and
+    # returned
     def post(self, data):
-        return self.__request('post', data = data)
+        return self.__request('post', data=data)
 
     def delete(self):
         return self.__request('delete')
 
-
-    #Private
+    # Private
 
     def __request(self, method, **kwargs):
-        #Firebase API does not accept form-encoded PUT/POST data. It needs to
-        #be JSON encoded.
+        # Firebase API does not accept form-encoded PUT/POST data. It needs to
+        # be JSON encoded.
         if 'data' in kwargs:
             kwargs['data'] = json.dumps(kwargs['data'])
 
@@ -84,11 +79,10 @@ def __request(self, method, **kwargs):
                 del kwargs['params']
             params.update({'auth': self.auth_token})
 
-        r = requests.request(method, self.__url(), params=params, **kwargs)
-        r.raise_for_status() #throw exception if error
+        r = session.request(method, self.__url(), params=params, **kwargs)
+        r.raise_for_status()  # throw exception if error
         return r.json()
 
-
     def __url(self):
-        #We append .json to end of ROOT_URL for REST API.
+        # We append .json to end of ROOT_URL for REST API.
         return '%s.json' % self.ROOT_URL