Experience is assumed with the tools of the developer trade, such as version control (preferably Git) and IDEs. Readers should be familiar with basic computer science concepts like concurrency and abstraction, as the book explains how they work in Go. Some of the code examples are downloadable from GitHub, and dozens more can be tried out online on The Go Playground. While an internet connection isn’t required, it is helpful when reviewing executable examples. Since Go is often used to build and call HTTP servers, some examples assume familiarity with basic HTTP concepts.
While most of Go’s features are found in other languages, Go makes different tradeoffs, so programs written in it have a different structure. Learning Go starts by looking at how to set up a Go development environment, and then covers variables, types, control structures, and functions. If you are tempted to skip over this material, resist the urge and take a look. It is often the details that make your Go code idiomatic. Some of what seems obvious at first glance might actually be subtly surprising when you think about it in depth.