It sounds easy to just learn something... to wake the brain up... but mine just might be in a coma. It's been a long time since I've done any deep thinking about anything. When I was in grad school, studying physiology, it was exhilarating to try and understand the mechanism and first principles that governed the workings of the human body. My thesis work was the most intellectually stimulating stuff I have ever done since. Since then it has been mostly superficial memorizing of facts or rules... with some basic conceptual modelling thrown in. Nothing very heavy, and now I wonder if I am even capable of the deep thought required to understand the abstract world of programming. Mind you I have received some excellent suggestions that I'm going to put to good use. But my question is this... how does a semi-burned out, work-a-daddy, with plenty of family and business obligations... actually wake up his brain? Review and regurgitation--most of the learning I do these days--doesn't seem very helpful in learning programming... but my brain is in a deep sleep and I need to give it a cold shower. How??? TM But

I have to agree. Whether it is language, math, chemistry, or programming... it is hard to pick it up until you start to see and understand the "big picture." I guess I'm still struggling with the big picture of how "programming works." Once the big picture is comprehended it is all just "drill down" after that to pick up more refined details through experience, experiment, and mistakes. I literally have 15 different beginner programming books on my shelf trying to understand the elusive "big picture." But as someone else wisely pointed out the big picture is an abstraction until you try and solve problems, create solutions, and play with it. And in my case, since I'm not a natural, I guess I probably need to be in a directed environment to get maximum value out the learning experience. The books definitely ain't doing it. But I got thinking about sports... you can always tell the difference between someone who has played a sport their whole life and someone who picked it up as an adult... the first is a natural and the second usually looks forced. But heck... I'm not looking to be Johnny van Neuman... I'd just like to get something other than "Hello World" on my screen. TM

Colin Interesting point of view... "I rate linguistic skills as high as math skills for use in programming. As programming is language use." I've also tried many times to learn French, and failed miserably, so maybe I'm linguistically challenged. I have good math skills so I thought programming would be easier than it is turning out to be. Maybe the problem is really linguistic knowledge... although as my wife likes to tell... don't rule out stupidity entirely. LOL Having ADD probably doesn't help, either. Anyway... I am in awe of you guys... the ones who can churn out that code effortlessly. TM

Would love to hear from someone over 30 who has successfully learned to program. I'm wondering if my neural matter is just totally congealed... or if it is actually possible to pick up high level programming, when you start until your in your 30s. I've got a lot of programming books wasting away on the shelves, and I don't seem to be that much further ahead than I was when I started. Is this an age thing? Or just plain stupidity?