[masto]

The Little Schemer is one of my top two favorite programming books. But it's not something I'd recommend as a way to learn how to do the programmer job. It's fun and useful in the way that dropping acid is fun and useful, at least from what I've been told as a teetotaler who's never tried anything stronger than Tylenol. When I read that book, it has a long-lasting aftereffect on how I approach problem solving and maybe the world in general.

I have non-data-driven (but informed) opinions on how to pick up coding as a new skill. I think it helps to find a hobby space you're interested in that will motivate you to push through when you get stuck on something. There are some great platforms for live-tinkering with electronics, CircuitPython for example. Or web stuff, if there's a way to get into it in 2024 without being overwhelmed by frameworks and complexity.