[sorbus]

I used it as my first introduction to Ruby, and it was perfectly suited for that. Easy to read, whimsical, and it actually managed to communicate the joy of programming. I've been recommending it to friends who don't know any programming languages for a while. (For context, when I read it I already knew C, Bash scripting, and bits of PHP and Python).

[lightcatcher]

I definitely support _why's ideas, particularly teaching programming to children. However, I couldn't stand the poignant guide. I actually tried to learn Ruby before Python (my favorite/best language now), but the style of the poignant guide deterred me from the language.