ESR is one of the most influential public figures in my life. This document is largely responsible for my perspective on how to approach any technical pursuit.
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html
Ben Eater is really great at explaining complex things. Here he walks us through the process of reverse engineering a silly little piece of technology.
https://youtu.be/a6EWIh2D1NQ