`compose` can be simpler:

    def compose(fn, *fns):
        def _composer(f, g):
            return lambda *args: f(g(*args))

        return reduce(_composer, fns, fn)

    def upper(s):
        return s.upper()

    def exclaim(s):
        return s + '!'

    # instead of this
    really_angry = lambda s: exclaim(exclaim(upper(s)))
    really_angry('napster bad') # NAPSTER BAD!!

    # we can do this
    really_angry = compose(upper, exclaim, exclaim)
    really_angry('fire good') # FIRE GOOD!!

    # and
    import operator as op
    from functools import partial as p
    max(map(compose(p(op.add, 1), p(op.mul, 3)), (1, 2, 3, 4)))