Rating: 
Summary: Coal in a diamond mine
Review: I'm a big fan of dummies books, have used them for years, and recommend them to students. But this one is horrid. I'm an experienced programmer with some OOP experience, and I could not follow what he was talking about. The examples where parts were completely unexplained did not help. I don't buy books so I can reread sections three times and still not be sure what the author meant. I am looking elsewhere to learn Java, and I recommed you do the same.
Rating:
Summary: Too advanced for "dummies", too "dumb" for the rest of us
Review: I'm astonished that this book is getting positive reviews. I took an Intro. to Java course at my local university last spring (received an "A" as well, even though I'd never programmed anything but a VCR before the course). I decided this spring to take Java 2, the next level. Wanting to brush up on my Java, I decided to read "Java 2 for Dummies".Talk about convoluted! This book is actually making me more confused, rather than refreshing my memory on everything I'd learned last year (I'm only halfway through, but I don't think I'm going to waste any more time on it). The author launches ahead into various aspects of Java code without explaining much of it, what it does, or why you have to use it. Nor does he take the time to explain formatting conventions. One gets the feeling of being rushed through the topics, with the author's attitude being "Just type the gobbledygook you see here and your program will work. Never mind what it means or why it's necessary." Object-oriented programming requires a great deal of careful, detailed explanation so that the student fully grasps the concepts before being shown how to utilize those concepts. Otherwise, you're just parroting back code you've been shown, without grasping how everything is working. I usually enjoy the Dummies books for what they're worth, but this is by far the most inadequate one I've read. If you're new to programming, don't even think you're going to learn Java by reading this book. You'll need to read several other books just to "unlearn" the confusion this book is likely to leave you with and also to fill in the enormous gaps it leaves in your brain. If you're an experienced programmer looking to learn Java, this is not the place to start. Like the title of my review says, this book is too advanced and lacking in details for beginners, but too simplistic and meandering for those familiar with programming concepts. Stay away!
Rating: 
Summary: Falls Short
Review: Interestingly enough I found the first 6 chapters of the book and excellent intro to Java 2 concepts. After that, the books reading level sky rockets. I found myself enjoying everything untill it became to complicated to understand the authors examples. I had to read some chapters 3-4 times before I grasped the concept of what he was trying to explain. This is due to the authors assumption of the users pace. Dummies is meant to dumb down things at all times, this book fails that.
Rating:
Summary: Ok for the absolute beginer
Review: It covers all basic aspects, but that's all. It's not a bad book as long as you know what you're looking for. People knowing the basics should avoid it and search for something more detailed
Rating: 
Summary: Java 2 For Dummies - Awesome Book
Review: Just a quick note to say what a great and informative book the author has put together. The book has been a great kick start into Java programming and explains everything in simple terms so beginners like me can keep up.
Throughly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Great for Home Schooling Kids on Java 2
Review: The book is a great primer for Java 2. Have been using it as a home schooling resource. The concepts are explained clearly, in a manner that teens from age 12 can easily grasp. The humor that peppers the text keeps them looking forward to daily sessions. Chapters and sections are sized so that you can take in a little or a lot at each reading. Coding examples helping to provide templates for your own programs.
We added in some home-grown practice assignments and got teens who were writing programs in a manner of weeks and enjoying it.
In addition, having an email address to send questions to and get quick turnaround responses is a great benefit for learning. Mr. Burd most obviously knows his stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Starts out strong
Review: The first few chapters were a breeze, then WHAMO! into no-mans land. Like the reviewer before me wrote, it suddenly gets way too complicated and decides this is a good time to leave out any descriptions of code.
Rating: 
Summary: An alright intro book
Review: This book makes for a good introduction to Java 2, and it touches on many important methods and programming blocks, with easy to follow examples, but like the title implies its for the Java ignorant, a good follow up to this book for the newbie Java programmer would be a J2EE O'reilly edition.
Rating: 
Summary: Definetly not for AP Computer Science
Review: This book, unlike c++ for Dummies as many other people have told me is definetly not a good book for reviewing over the AP Computer Science test. This book barely cover half of the A topics for the test, the easy one too like objects and arrays. This book may be good if you are just trying to learn java as a hobby but this book is definetly not good for the AP test. If you are learning then get Barron's guide to ap, if you are reviewing get barron's and maria litvin's.
Rating:
Summary: Ok, but Could do with some Improvement
Review: This is an ok book for learning java, but not the best. This book has agreat beginning, with an introduction and how to set Jav up, and the theory of java. The Beginning of actual programming was good to, but when the uthor started with objects, well that is where the trouble started. The author starts of by making a class, and using it. But about hawlway through a chapter, says whatever you have been doing, well don't do that. What kind of a book is this? Fist you do something, thinking this what you will do when you use java, but then get told what you've been doing is wrong?
This is an OK book, but get ready for changes.
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