To get a good command over Ruby I would suggest reading the first two sections of Metaprogramming Ruby http://pragprog.com/titles/ppmetr/metaprogramming-ruby ht

To get a good command over Ruby I would suggest reading the first two sections of Metaprogramming Ruby http://pragprog.com/titles/ppmetr/metaprogramming-ruby http://pragprog.com/titles/ppmetr/metaprogramming-ruby and reading the tutorial section of the Pick Axe book http://pragprog.com/titles/ruby3/programming-ruby-1-9 http://pragprog.com/titles/ruby3/programming-ruby-1-9 The first book will give you good coverage over what makes Ruby different. Most importantly it will give you an understanding of how the fancy stuff that Rails does is possible. The second book is a very good foundation book for Ruby. After this I think you'll be able to dive into Rails with much more confidence and understanding.