I know this sounds a little crazy, but don't be afraid to pick up Python at the same time you're learning Ruby. I find Python and Ruby to be complementary langu

I know this sounds a little crazy, but don't be afraid to pick up Python at the same time you're learning Ruby. I find Python and Ruby to be complementary languages. I fill more of a manager and sysadmin role in our organization (we're a RoR shop) than a developer, so I do a lot of scripting and less application writing. I write all of our server setup (bash), deployment automation (Ruby), and end-user automation scripts (Ruby/Python) for developers and staff members. My go-to language is Ruby, but mostly because I know it best. When I take the time to sit down with Python, I find its brevity (no end statements, braces, etc) to be a big productivity boost for times when you need to bang out some quick scripts. Even with an IDE that completes end statements for you, you have to manage those lines when you need to move things around. Python uses the same kind of natural language structure that makes writing code comfortable and very readable when you come back to it later.