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Summary: A Java Book for CS Majors
Review: This is the book required of my Intro to Programming in Java class, which is a class designed for those intending to pursue Computer Science as a major. I believe the book itself is just that: a great introduction for those serious about learning to program and then take it to a higher level with further education.This is not an easy book to read with a light head. You cannot breeze through the code, which is explained minimally, or not at all, and expect to understand what is going on. Careful tracing and retracing of the code is what it takes me to understand some of the example programs. This said, once I've done so, I come away with a solid understanding of the concepts introduced.
Some of the chapters are especially lacking. I found the chapter on recursion to be confusing and hard to decipher until the professor gave us some solid real world examples (Russian stacking dolls) and a thorough explanation of what the code is doing. Others chapters were better than my professor in explanation, namely the chapter on loops and that on objects and primitive data.
I am taking this course with absolutely no programming experience, and am finding this book to be an invaluable complement to the lectures. However if you have no programming background and want to learn Java solely from this book, you would need more discipline than I have to do it. If you already have experience in programming, I'd imagine this book would help you to learn Java quickly and easily. If you've already done object-oriented programming some of the first chapters may be a little too basic. Overall this is a great book for those new to programming but dedicated to through study and further education, or as an intro to Java for those with prior experience.
Rating: 
Summary: Worst book for beginners!!
Review: I have had previous training in JAVA and C++. I got this book for a beginner's Class and more than clearing concepts it confused me with its examples and haphazard way of text. The more important concepts are left out and the trivial ones focussed on unecessarily. It is certainly not a beginner's book, I would personally not recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn JAVA. This is not a book to be used as a textbook as well.
Rating: 
Summary: A GREAT AND CLEAR JAVA PROGRAMMING BOOK FOR BEGINNERS
Review: We use this book in my Java programming class and it's one of the easiest text books I've ever used. It's so easy that if I just bought it and used it myself without a teacher, I would do just as well. The authors use GREAT examples of programs, applets, and classes to use inside of programs. They also supply you with a CDROM of all the examples, java sdk 1.3, java Forte, and classes to help make programs easier including a crucial Keyboard input class. This alone should be the reason you buy this book. Another great aspect of this book is that the authors use what was talked about in each chapter in graphics orientated examples which is one thing absolutely needed to know for success in using java in the business world. In all, the best java programming book I've ever used.
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Summary: The greatest programming book I have ever seen.
Review: Although many books claim that they are books for people with no programming knowledge, this book is by far the most understandable yet not oversimplified. Each example code is complete(not a code snippet), so we can copy, compile and execute it on the spot. The book never introduces any new materials unnecessarily until we cover the easier ones. Its explanations on object-oriented programming was especially great; I could not understand it when I read other books on programming at high school, but I grasped the idea with this one book. For example, the book uses many everyday examples to explain about the relationship between objects and classes. I finished my cs1 course but I still use it for reference. I recommend this book not only as a textbook but also for everyone who wants to start programming.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty decent book for beginners
Review: Having got advanced credit for an introductory Java course (because of 4 years experience in VB, and my academic background), but having no knowledge of the language, I decided to read this textbook on my own. While there were a few chapters that I didn't get a word of at first, I must admit that I couldn't have asked for a better beginner's book.
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Summary: Great intro to Java and programming.
Review: This book was far and away the best beginning programming book that I have read. The majority of other intro Java books, begin rather basically through the first few chapters, then jump from the fundamentals to some rather advanced stuff that usually had my head swimming. This book does a very nice job of progressing constantly without making any big conceptual jumps. I read this book well over a year ago in preparation for a 300 level University course where it was assumed that I would know Java, I only knew Pascal, and Basic at the time. In little over a month I had read this book and was able to handle my Data Structures class without any difficulty whatsoever. Over a year later I am now a professional Java programmer, and I recommend the book to all those who express an interest in programming. This is not a comprehensive book, and was not intended to be, it is however the best introductory Java book of which I am aware.
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Summary: the bible of java
Review: this book is like yhe bible of java. this book starts from the very begining of even what is a computer and from what it is build. it helps you with every step on the way of programming and shows you the best and simple examples of java programms. i am learning computer science in university and even our proffesors use this book to teach us the java basics and more. i recommend this book to every one who wants to learn java in the best way.
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Summary: Great intro to Java - much better than a $2000 5-day course
Review: This book is great if you are absolutely new to Java - it starts with the basics of OOP and takes you all the way to data structures (how many other intro books do that?). It is clearly written and provides ample code examples along with analysis of the problems. Once you go over it you will know much more than after taking a hurried $2000 5-day course, even when it is given by Sun.
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Summary: Not the best for a beginner
Review: I am a total beginner when it comes to programming in general - let alone Java. This is the textbook chosen for our course and on behalf of my entire class - this book is horrendous!! It gives very detailed explanations of certain topics, but other more necessary topics are brushed over (such as reserved words and where to use them). It focuses more on Console Based application and breezes through GUI and Applet applications. However, with the Console Based applications it never provides a clear explanation on a very basic and extremely important area - how the system will read data input. Instead, it creates a fictitious "keyboard" class which confused 25 out of the 30 people in my class. Not a great thing for beginners. Without the instructor's assistance, I would have dropped the book and Java a long time ago. A much better book is Deitel and Deitel's How to Program Java. Great detail, great explanation on just about everything. Only problem is that it covers GUI and Applet applications only and not Console Based. If that's what your looking for,neither book has it. But if you know one that does please let me know!
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Summary: Not always precise - not a self-study-book
Review: I'm using this book in my classes. It does go well alone (no selfstudy-book) - why? It doesn't write what's important - and what's not. Why you want to use the different possibilities in Java etc. So... no good if you are on your own... But fine for computer science courses.
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