In addition to what others have said, I would add The Little Schemer to the list. It may not seem like the most practical book, but it will make you a better programmer.
Beyond that, I would reiterate the following suggestions put forth by others:
-- How to Design Programs (get version 2. Racket, the IDE for this book, is practically plug-and-play, so you won't waste time prepping your development environment)
-- Think Python by Allen Downey (i haven't read this one, but it comes very highly recommended. the excerpts I've read show that Allen communicates the concepts very clearly)
-- Eloquent Javascript (very good introduction, all examples can be done directly in the browser with the specially-made console. This eliminates the time and confusion you will experience trying to set up a development environment with other languages.)
On top of those I'd also add:
-- The C Programming Language by K&R (if you are interested in C)
-- Dive into HTML5 (if you are interested in web development. HTML is a markup language, but you are going to need it to be able to build web stuff. This book complements Eloquent Javascript nicely)
-- Land of Lisp
-- DOM Scripting (Pair this book with Eloquent Javascript. It's the best introduction to the DOM that I've seen and will bridge the gap between HTML and Javascript)
The best books on coding are those that place equal emphasis on good prose and good programming practice and that de-emphasize syntax.
Also, look for books where the examples are real-world examples. i.e. things that people have actually had to implement at one time or another. Avoid books with completely imaginary examples that use made up names like foo, bar, widget, etc.
Thanks for the recommendations! Do you have any recommendations on where to start. I'm currently in college and trying to take this on as a hobby. I wish there were ways to learn these languages a lot faster (like matrix, just plug it in), but I realize I need to spend a decent amount of time to actually pick it up.
Also, any recommendations on whether I should try to be building mobile apps or web apps as my end goal?
Given your interest in mobile/web apps, my recommendation is to start with Eloquent Javascript then Dive into HTML5 and then DOM Scripting. With those three, you'll have a solid base for what the next 5 years of what technology trends will throw at you.
Eventually you'll need to start working more with stuff on the server side. Once that time comes, you'll know enough to choose the server side language that makes the most sense for you (my bet is that you'll probably end up choosing between Javascript, Python, Ruby or Clojure in that order).
Thank you so much for your help!
I found some books that I will be using and I will definitely still be needing more advice down the road.
Here is my blog I started, if you'd like to see my progress later down the road:
My boyfriend (@andjones) insists that I need to read The Little Scheme, too, there's a vote for that one. Despite my ADD about programming book reading it's on my list.
Beyond that, I would reiterate the following suggestions put forth by others: -- How to Design Programs (get version 2. Racket, the IDE for this book, is practically plug-and-play, so you won't waste time prepping your development environment)
-- Think Python by Allen Downey (i haven't read this one, but it comes very highly recommended. the excerpts I've read show that Allen communicates the concepts very clearly)
-- Eloquent Javascript (very good introduction, all examples can be done directly in the browser with the specially-made console. This eliminates the time and confusion you will experience trying to set up a development environment with other languages.)
On top of those I'd also add: -- The C Programming Language by K&R (if you are interested in C)
-- Dive into HTML5 (if you are interested in web development. HTML is a markup language, but you are going to need it to be able to build web stuff. This book complements Eloquent Javascript nicely)
-- Land of Lisp
-- DOM Scripting (Pair this book with Eloquent Javascript. It's the best introduction to the DOM that I've seen and will bridge the gap between HTML and Javascript)
The best books on coding are those that place equal emphasis on good prose and good programming practice and that de-emphasize syntax.
Also, look for books where the examples are real-world examples. i.e. things that people have actually had to implement at one time or another. Avoid books with completely imaginary examples that use made up names like foo, bar, widget, etc.