I learned Python first a couple years ago through Udacity (the search engine 101 not the Java 101), and it was awesome. It's a great way to dive in and see how

I learned Python first a couple years ago through Udacity (the search engine 101 not the Java 101), and it was awesome. It's a great way to dive in and see how to solve problems with code, not just learn the syntax. That said, I think I have officially defected to the Ruby camp as far as the language I would bring to a desert island inexplicably equipped with computers and electricity. There are a lot of really good intro to programming resources for Ruby as well, just none that are as interactive and broad as Udacity's. One Month Rails is good if you can already program, but it seems like it's really for after you know Ruby. Overall I would say definitely go for Ruby or Python or Javascript as opposed to C for your friend's first language. The less syntactic pain and more friendly the language is the more the beginner can focus on the concepts.