Java Software Solutions : Foundations of Program Design, CodeMate Enhanced Edition

Rating:
Summary: one of the Better java books out there
Review: I hesitated to buy this book due to the high cost. However, as it was required by my first year compsci class, I bit the bullet and purchase a copy. I am quite satisfied with the purchase, this is clearly one of the better java books I have read to date.
The code examples are to the point and explain the topic at hand fairly well and the technical style of the writing itself lends itself to clear explanation. the textbook includes a section on graphics and Gui in each section yet it is arranged so that you do not need to learn it. there are also a brief introduction to data structures toward the end of the book

All in all, I highly reccomend this book for those completely new to programming

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Start for Programming and Java
Review: If you are looking for an excellent start in programming or Java this is an excellent choice. I had it for two Fundamentals of Computing classes at Simpson College and I am seriously impressed by its treatment of Computer Science and programming in Java. It has excellent layout and was extrememly easy to grasp the concepts. I like its appraoch to text in how it uses colors and graphics that I think ALL, and I mean ALL, authors and publishers should consider before they are made obsolete by the Interent. Most excellent book!

Rating:
Summary: Quite very simple
Review: It has a pretty good presentation, with all the colour and everything. However, I seriously think this book is too simple. It is meant for the absolute beginner to programming, with plenty of examples for a good foundation.

With some programming experience under my belt, I found the first few chapters agonisingly slow. It does a decent job of describing the Java language fundamentals, however, and I especially liked the appendix with the Java class libraries. Other books often lack this and sometimes when a code segment in the text refers to some class, and I desperately want to know more about it, I have to open my browser and read the API specifications, which can be quite annoying.

All that said, remember that when they say foundations of program design, they mean FOUNDATIONS, as in the very basics.