Comment by pdiddy

Not to your main point, but the circuit simulation reminds me of Silon by SLaks: http://silon.slaks.net/

Edit: Also, as a late-bloomer and self-taught (self-teaching) programmer, I am on the other side of the paradigm you're talking about. Petzold's Code is one of the first books a self-taught programmer should pick up. It is an awesome introduction.