I've found that I've really enjoyed the Little Schemer series quite a bit. I do have SICP which is a great college-level text but for a pure-introductory book f

I've found that I've really enjoyed the Little Schemer series quite a bit. I do have SICP which is a great college-level text but for a pure-introductory book for someone who is completely new to programming I would suggest Little Schemer. Either way, SICP or Little Schemer aim to teach a theory of computation. The unit of computation is recursion and they go to show just how powerful it is. I think the fun stems from learning the theory and allowing your mind to toy with the applications of it. Conversely, HtDP is first and foremost practical. I find it boring precisely because its goal is to show you how to design computer programs. There's little creativity involved!