Reddit reviews Agile Web Development with Rails 3.2 (Pragmatic Programmers)

10000 limit again. Reserving this comment for the Programming section:

PROGRAMMING
Gray Hat Python: Python Programming for Hackers and Reverse Engineers
Beginning Python
The Python Standard Library by Example (Developer's Library)
Shell Scripting
Shell Scripting Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach
Linux Command Line and Shell Scripting Bible, Second Edition
Wicked Cool Shell Scripts
sed & awk (2nd Edition)
The Ruby Programming Language
Beginning Ruby: From Novice to Professional
Ruby on Rails 3 Tutorial: Learn Rails by Example
Agile Web Development with Rails
Automating Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 with Windows PowerShell 2.0
Pragmatic Guide to Subversion
Programming Perl
C++ Primer Plus
The AWK Programming Language thanks sjhill
Modern Perl thanks three18ti
High-Order Perl thanks three18ti
The Art of Scalability thanks mr_chip
Scalability Rules thanks mr_chip
Continuous Delivery thanks mr_chip
The Varnish Book thanks mr_chip

Where do you live? Check if there is a Ruby User group nearby, if there is that would be a good a place to start as any.

Also, have you tried to learn by yourself using the internet or a book as guidance? Agile Web Development with Rails is pretty darn good, and is currently priced at less than what an hour long private lesson would be.

http://www.amazon.com/Agile-Development-Rails-Pragmatic-Programmers/dp/1934356549 + http://www.railscasts.com

Learn Ruby first.

RoR will be very useful to create a website like that, just use the devise gem for the user logins. The databases are easy on rails, just follow a few tutorials and you will get started in no time. I would also recommend to use the screencast Railscast and the books Pragmatic Agile Web Development with Rails and Ruby on Rails 3 Tutorial as they helped me get started.

These two are the most recommend for beginners

The Ruby Programming Language

Agile Web Development with Rails


More advanced topics:

Metaprogramming Ruby

The Rspec Book

Ideas:

• How about learning programming? Learn Objective-C, then you could develop both mac and iOS apps on your iMac. They're great for coding!
  
• Even better, you could learn ruby, a modern and relatively easy to learn programing language and develop web applications with rails (A big part of the ruby community is using macs).
  
• Start learning Flash and make some good flash games.
  
• Or become an expert in Photoshop!
  
• Download and watch a few good HD movies. They look amazing on the iMac screen.
  
• Learn something new by taking an online Stanford class, for example computer science, anatomy or game theory.
  
  
  If that's not enough, browse the App store. I'm sure you'll find some inspiration.

Agile web development with rails 4th edition http://www.amazon.com/Agile-Development-Rails-Pragmatic-Programmers/dp/1934356549

I'm currently reading through Agile Web Development with Rails 3.2 as start into Rails. I haven't worked on any of the examples yet, just doing a first read through, but it's covering a lot of stuff. I'll probably go though some other online tutorials once I'm done. On a side note, in a web dev course I took last year, one of the TAs said that a lot of people look down on PHP deferring to other options, but eventually end up going back to it.