Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as I had hoped
Review: I'm somewhat disappointed after reading the glowing customer reviews. The author repeats the trivial and fails to explain some of the basics. There is no single summary of command syntax, and the index is insufficient. Overall one can learn Java with this book, but probably do better with another.
Rating: 
Summary: to each his own...
Review: I've been programming for more than 20 years, but wanted to learn some of the newer languages. I am currently taking a class and this is the text. If I were reading this book on my own and not as part of a class, I would toss it and try another book. I find the author's writing style difficult to stay with. I can only tolerate 4 or 5 pages before leaving the book, only to come back later for a few more pages. I sometimes have to read a section 2, 3 or 4 times in order to understand what the author is trying to communicate. (Even the class instructor does not like the book!)Having started my working life as a secretary, the number of English language errors (using "their" instead of "there", mixing singular and plural ["...when you use a mutator methods, the ..."]) just drives me crazy. Of the many computer books I've read in the last 3 years, this is the worst with regard to language errors. I don't expect perfection, but couldn't someone have done a better editing job?
Rating: 
Summary: Great intro to Java and computer science
Review: I've read a lot of tech books and this one is great. Really easy to follow examples which are well explained.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe the Best Introduction to Computer Programming
Review: If you have never programmed before this is the book for you. Java is probably the easiest Object-Oriented language to learn and this is the easiest book to learn Java from. The writing is concise and unbelievably clear; and 8 year-old could learn Java from Savitch. Pick up this book and download JDK from Sun for free and you'll be programming in no time. Example: One of the most annoying things (at least at first) about Java is its I/O System. And obviously to run the simplest program you need user input. However Savitch solves this issue by having a class, SavitchIn, that handles user input pretty well. Thus beginners can jump right in and start programming without having to worry about parsing command line arguments or using StringTokenizer. All this having been said, this book is far from comprehensive and you'll soon outgrow it. But as a computer science grad student, I can say that undergraduates with no previous programming experience love Savitch's book, and you will too. You might also want to pick up "Java in a Nutshell," the best Java reference book -- for the money.
Rating:
Summary: Clear and to the point!
Review: It's hard to come out with words to describe this book. I was recomended this book by a friend and it was great. Very clear! I think this book should be the standard to which we should compare all other books. Savitch has done an awesome job. If you want to learn Java then you should learn it from the master if you want to one day be a master. If so, this is your book!
Rating:
Summary: I'm One of Many Unsatisfied Students
Review: My beginning Java class is using this book as its textbook, and I sincerely wish my college had chosen a different book (and many of my fellow students feel the same). True, I've learned quite a bit, but not without much unecessary frustration. Simpler topics are over-explained, while more important concepts seem to be just skimmed over (for instance, what exactly IS an instance variable? I had to refer to other texts to find out, because there is no definition in this one, and no glossary, either). One must refer back and forth, over and over, to get an understanding, and the example programs are not fully explained. This book might be okay as a supplement to other Java texts, but I can't recommend it as the only book for those new to Java programming.
Rating:
Summary: the only way to go
Review: My learning style is visual, aka concrete (please no jokes about the composition of my skull), and with most books I frequently have trouble finding something I saw earlier that I now need to recall. The format of this book is outstanding and I am very satisfied. The author has done a great job of taking a student from raw beginner to feeling pretty darn good about programming concepts. And the big bonus is that you learn a very useful Internet oriented language at the same time.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Work by Dr. Savitch
Review: People will always give different perspectives on the same book, which is okay. Dr. Savitch -- I thought he is a PhD -- Dr. Savitch's book is great for my mode of self-study. Savitch is a master! He repeats concepts, as others have said, but this is by design. He knows better, he knows that concepts are more likely to be kept in this manner. Savitch's book is eminently suited for guys doing self-study and wanting to make their way into Java Programming. I have got value for my money, I now believe. Good Luck!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book for first-time learners of Java
Review: Savitch's book is excellent for the first time learner of programming. As a first year student at UC San Diego, I had no programming experience. And although for my CSE class, the instructor taught most of the programming, this book proved extremely helpful on better understanding concepts. The book teaches in a straight-forward easy to understand way. I plan to buy his C++ book, as the Bjarne Stroustrup "C++ Programming Language" book is proving difficult to understand. Savitch's Java book is a must for first time learners. Plain, simple english.
Rating:
Summary: Simply an amazing book for the novice programmer
Review: Simply an amazing book. For the novice programmer, Walter Savitch magically transforms what is seemingly gibberish into concise descriptions. Still do not believe me! Read the chapter on multidimensional arrays, and I know your review will give this book 5 stars.
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