Personally I'd say ZorinOS is made to be most like Windows. Havent used it in a while so I dont know what it's like. Linux Mint Cinnamon is also very good, feels like a hybrid between XP and 7's UX. If you're looking for a modern feel, Ubuntu with Unity (default) or Kubuntu. My sister with Down Syndrome picked up Mint Cinnamon's UI very quickly, and can navigate as well as she did on Windows with a few days of practice.

There's a similar book for learning Haskell, I believe. "Learn You a Haskell for Great Good"[^]