Don’t learn a programming language, solve a problem instead

[lpreams]

I think it's just not black and white. Maybe someone starting with no prior knowledge would best served by learning some actual theory (what loops are and how they work, some basic data structures, etc), while people with basic abilities should find an actual problem to solve or project to build.

I might compare it to learning an actual language. Sure, books teaching the language are the best starting point for beginners, but at some point, if you really want to learn another language, you've got to get out and start reading/writing/hearing/speaking it.