[rday]

I was bitten by this as well, I thought the book was for an "early programmer" not a total beginner.

Hindsight and all, it seems the book would have better titled "Learn to Program the Hard Way (using Python)". Or "Learn to Program the Hard Way (using Ruby)". A total beginner is really trying to learn how to build a program, not trying to learn a particular language (whether they know that or not).

[Roodgorf]

I think your parenthetical at the end is most important to the marketing strategy behind the way the book is named as opposed to your suggestions. In my experience discussing with people who do want to learn to program, their first question is generally "What's the best/easiest language to start with?". Having no knowledge of coding whatsoever leads one to focus on comparatively superficial things like language, so I can imagine more beginners being drawn to "Here's how to use Python" vs. "Here's how to program".

[0xCMP]

Then again a lot of times they have been directed to learn a specific language and "go to this great site I know about to learn it so you can start programming." Since, you know, we have ingrained ideas of what the 'best first language' is :p