Rating: 
Summary: He knows How to teach Beginners
Review: 'Learn to progrma with Java' is the second book of learn to series for me. When I read 'Learn to program with Visual Basic 6', I felt the author has a good style and format for beginner. Again I confirmed his teacing talent. He knows how to teach and how much to teach for beginners. Many other beginner's book have failed because they contain too much concepts, which result in over 1500 pages of referenc book not for beginners.
Mr. Smiley gives essential concepts in organized form. After I finished "Learn to Program with Java", I am enough ready to learn intermediate level of Java.
Rating:
Summary: This is as good as it gets
Review: After a slew of terrible instructors and buying several books claiming to be for beginners (but really aren't), I was ready to give up on learning Java. During my attempts to learn Java, I was confronted with instructors who gave out problems, but no solutions, claiming there's no point since everyone programs differently. I've had instructors who take pride in the number of students who drop the class. And let's not mention the number of books that provide a slew of examples, but no context. Luckily, just when I was at my wits end, while browsing in the bookstore, I picked up John Smiley's book and I'm now in Java paradise.
Without a doubt, this is the BEST, most comprehensive Introduction to Java book I've bought - and I've purchased several books. The unique classroom format makes me feel like I'm actually sitting in the class. But perhaps the best part of all is that I'm having a great time learning this language. I don't want to put the book down. Until recently, I almost gave up hope that there was a good book out there that could provide examples AND context. Now, with Smiley's book, for the first time, I know that I'm learning Java correctly.
I've been telling everyone I know who wants to learn Java about this incredible book. I'm so excited about the book that I emailed John telling him how much I enjoy the book and hoping that he writes an Advanced Java Book. And yes, he does return his emails.
If you want to learn Java AND have fun, this is the book for you. And yes, you will be able to start programming confidently upon completing this book since the most of the examples are wrapped around a real-world project. You won't be disappointed!! This book definitely and deservedly gets an A+.
Rating:
Summary: At Last!! A real beginner's book!
Review: After much frustrations perusing "How to Learn and Master" books on Java, here comes a masterpiece. Masterpiece because this book does exactly what it advertise: helping the reader takes its first steps in Java, in a gentle, detailed and conversational way."The longest journey always starts with the first step". Yet, way too many authors dismiss the first step as being beneath them. Not John Smiley; his respectul attitude combined with an undeniable ability to teach makes his book a must for any serious student of the Java language.
Rating: 
Summary: Need more sample codes
Review: An opinion form Japn. I know LOGO, Scheme, QBasic, Turbo Pascal, VB, Delphi, C. And I needed to learn Java this time. I know "What is variable?" thing very well. So I don't need to read such a boring thing like "Why you need to use array". This book is full of these kind of very beginner level explanation.
I learnt those things from "QBasic by example" already.I need more lots of small sample codes in each capters.The first chapter "Where Do I begin?" is really boring. The 2nd chapter "Getting Comfortable with Java" is slightly boring. 3rd chapter "Data" is merely exciting. But need more samples. 4th chapter "Selection Structures" is boring,because I know C and I am already comfortable for that selection things. 5th "Loops" chapter is same thing.it is just FOR and WHILE loop. 6th "Creating Your Own Methods" is a little interesting. But you will notice that method is just a sub-routin. When you reach to the 7th "Creating Objects from Instantiable Classes" ,you really get to Java world. Preceeding 1-6 chapter is just a boot camp.
This meathod chapter is very important. The next 8th "Controlling Access to the Data in Your Object" is boring, it is just PUBLIC or PRIVATE things. 9th "Inheritance and Interfaces" is slightly difficult.I can not understand this chapter yet. But inheritance seems to be just useful style of copy and paste. interface is just complex inheritance. So you don't need to understand inheritance and interfaces right now. you can make programs without them. Just use copy and paste.10th "Arrays" is same for Basic or Pascal or C. Just a boring pages. 11th."Error Handling". Very boring. Just write a code that doesn't contain any errors at the begining. So you don't need to learn error handling. 12th "Developing a Graphical User Interfaces" Very exciting. You can create window programing by just write some codes like liberty basic. But I bet you'll soon get bored to write code for window programing like "btn1.setBounds(30,10,80,40);".You can choose more smart GUI Java editer like JBuilder, Forte for Java, or VisualAge. 13th. "Event Handling in Java". similer to JavaScript event handling. looks interesting, but I myself have not read out this chapter yet.
Conclusion:This book contains lots of chats between teather and students. Almost 80% of this book is just chatting. like "What the heck variable is ,teather???" "The variable is like a box which contain data in computer memory...." ok, Ok,,,OKAY.I know QBASIC and Pascal and C and,,,,I know what is variable is very well. Really. boring these time consuming chats. But interesting that people in the U.S.A learn thing like this. In Japan, students are not allowed to speak in class at all. Only teather are permitted to speak in class. This lucking communication led Japan to fallen state. I'd like to go to U.S.A and try U.S.A style of education if possible in some days...
Rating:
Summary: The difficult is made easy
Review: Are you someone who wants to learn a programming language, Java in this case, but find your eyes crossing when you read books on the subject? If so, then stop here, because you have found something special. The author, Professor John Smiley is no ivory tower teacher or computer nerd... He is a professional educator who understands how difficult learning computer languages can be and is expert at making that knowledge accessible to the beginner. In addition, I have emailed questions to the author, who answered me promptly and meaningfully each time. Professor Smiley truly offers the complete package. The book reads like a narrative of the author's experience in teaching a class on Java at Penn State University. The text follows the development of a small project (a student grades calculator) through the various stages of development -- each stage introducing new concepts and features. By writing about a simulated classroom, the author answers your questions and gets you over the stumbling blocks, even as you form those questions and encounter those blocks. My experiences with other similar books is that these normal conceptual blocks can really slow my learning experience and turn me off from proceeding. This never happened with this book. The examples are clear, illustrative, and easy to follow. The material assumes negligible programming experience in any language, and teaches good style and programming technique which are applicable in any language. The topics addressed are enough to get anyone started in Java, including: * how to write an compile Java source, * operators, * program flow, * classes (functions, methods, and properties, constructors, etc), * I/O, * good programming technique (including a very useful discussion of the System Development Lifecycle), * GUI, and more. By the time I was finished with the text, I had, as advertised by the title, learned to program in Java, and was well prepared to take the next step in my education in this langauge. Who should read this book? It's not for not advanced students or current Java programmers, but it is a great way to start your education on a difficult and useful subject. However, I hope Professor Smiley (and his publisher) will consider writing intermediate and advanced version of this book as well. I also heartily recommend the author's books on learning to program with Visual Basic -- a subject for which he is already acclaimed.
Rating:
Summary: Learning Java from the ground up
Review: As a Software Engineer, I wanted to LEARN Java! I've bought other books that kill you will facts but don't walk you through the process of working with a new language that you're trying to learn. This book is FANTASTIC! If you're interested in Learning Java, this is the place to start! It's just like being in a college classroom but with the advantage of being able to go back and re-read the concept that you may be having trouble understanding and not have to be embarrased by asking a lot of questions. I keyed-in every example from this book as I worked through it to completion. I was again very pleased with how few typo's were. Typo's are not what you need, when you're just starting out with a new language. Obviously the author and publisher did a great job in reviewing their text before publishing it. Something that more and more publishers are skipping in the rush to get a book out the door. Whether you are experienced or not, this book will help usher you into this new language. Several of my co-workers in software engineering have bought this book based on my recommendation and they too, thought it a GREAT Book. I'm confident you will too!
Rating:
Summary: Not only learn Java--truly enjoy it
Review: As someone with practically no programming background, I found John Smiley's book, LEARN TO PROGRAM WITH JAVA, extremely helpful. I enjoyed the many real life illustrations used to explain sometimes complex Java jargon. I enjoyed the real college class format with the comments & questions from "students" - some who were seasoned in programming, and others who were, like me, babes. I really enjoyed the real world project presented from Chapter One; this gave the whole book a practical application & focus from day one. John Smiley's book has done more than help me learn Java, his book has helped me enjoy it!
Rating:
Summary: Finally!!!!
Review: Here's my situation and how this book made java come together for me! Took 2 java college classes. Got a 'C' in one and a 'D'in the other! I was sooo frustrated and pretty much [ticked] off at myself because i couldn't "get" java. So i re-took the first Java class (with a different instructor) with helped tons, then halfway through the course I picked up this book, read it within a week, then BAM!! It all started to gel together FINALLY, not to mention i got an 'A' in the course and wipped out the 'C'!
In my college course it took 2 months before I understood what a freakin object was!! The books we used in class where too advanced, and were written in a technology style that wasnt working for me.
Here's a list of Java books i have bought:
1. Java tutorial by sun
2. Beginning Java 2 by wrox
3. How to program Java by Deitel
4. Murachs Beginning Java 2
Now let me say this about these books. THEY ARE ALL GOOD BOOKS!
Java tutorial by sun i didnt really care for, but the other 3 are great books! BUT, with that being said, I feel they are still written in a way that doesn't quite focus on the total beginner. But John Smileys book DOES! And after reading this book, you will be able to dig out your other Java books you have bought and gotten confused with and FLY through them!! Thats what I'm doing right now! Flying through Ditel and the wrox book!
Some people don't like the style that this book uses, the lively classroom Q&A format, they say it's too easy, I even heard one person tell me that it insulted his intelligence!! Then I find out later he had a Masters in Computer Science. Well, if one has a Masters degree in a high-tech engineering type field then YES, you can learn from technical books that are written in a technical way! But I'm an average joe! I'm not a Bill Gates techie! Then again, you don't have to be to just be a programmer! Anyone, that wants to learn computer programming and change careers into IT, can get there by starting with Johns books. Then after that, you can tackle the advanced books and succeed because of the foundation Mr.Smileys books give you!
In closing, if your a beginner, and sometimes feel intimidated by programming and wondering "if you can really do this!?!", then BUY THIS BOOK! I will even go as far to say this "If you don't learn Java from this book, then computer programming prolly isn't for you! I'm not trying to intimidate anyone with that statement, rather what I'm saying is, YOU WILL LEARN JAVA WITH THIS BOOK!
Rating:
Summary: Laern to program with Java by John Smiley
Review: I am a java-idiot who took up IT course hoping to learn it.the course itself is not sufficient for me to understand clearly how to code java.so i followed a PC magazine's recommendation and bought this book.True enough, it is money well spent! The book is very java-idiot friendly. i learnt a lot from the simple straight forward steps taught in the book.
and i must say if there is ever another book written by John Smiley on internediate java programming...i will buy it for sure!
Rating:
Summary: Great book.
Review: I am a self taught computer programmer who has read all or parts of dozens of manuals and this is by far the best. Easy to read and understand and very complete. It has given me the confidence and knowledge necessary to program with Java in less than a month. Professor Smiley is also a great resource. He has an execptional website with a great deal of information.
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