Let's face it. When you want to learn something completely new, be it mathematics or foreign languages, it's easiest to learn when you get real world scenarios in front of you, with theory applied. For example, trigonometry can be extremely interesting when applied to creation of 2D platform games. Norwegian can be really interesting to learn if you live in Norway.

When I try to look at a new programming language, I always find these steps the hardest:

1. What tools do I need to compile and how do I do it
2. Introduction-step: Why is this programming language so cool? Where and how is it used? (The step I am looking for, real-world scenarios)

The rest, deep diving into the language, pure theory and such, is often much easier if you have completed step 1 and 2. Because now you know what it's all about, and can just read the specification when you need to.

What I ask is, do you have any recommendations for places I can find such material for programming languages? Be it websites or companies selling books in this style, I'm interested. Also, I am interested in all languages. (If I had found a "real-world usage" explained for even INTERCAL, I would be interested).

In some other thread here, I found a book called "Seven Languages in Seven Weeks". This is kind of what I am looking for, but I believe there must be "more like this".