I really wish that more tutorials took the Rails tutorial approach where they build something and explain things as they go as opposed to the 'encyclopedia of features' approach.
Pick up something you are unfamiliar with, pick a small project (make a calendar, contact form, something small), find a language you want to learn, and get to googling/hacking away.
And what you are arguing is exactly the approach that Rails tutorial takes. You are building something and the book serves as your guide to reduce guesswork.