Rating: 
Summary: Java Not So Gently
Review: This book was required reading for my graduate-level foundation Java class. Having no previous experience in object-oriented programming, I was reassured by the title that Java Gently would ease me into the programming world. While the road wasn't as "gentle" as I had hoped, the book does provide readers with practical examples for implementing Java 2 and explains how concepts used in introductory programs can be applied to more complex ones. Although Java Gently is an introductory book, it would be more useful for someone who has programming experience in another language. Perhaps then the learning curve would be a bit more "gentle."
Rating:
Summary: Java Not So Gently
Review: This book was required reading for my graduate-level foundation Java class. Having no previous experience in object-oriented programming, I was reassured by the title that Java Gently would ease me into the programming world. While the road wasn't as "gentle" as I had hoped, the book does provide readers with practical examples for implementing Java 2 and explains how concepts used in introductory programs can be applied to more complex ones. Although Java Gently is an introductory book, it would be more useful for someone who has programming experience in another language. Perhaps then the learning curve would be a bit more "gentle."
Rating: 
Summary: There are so many better books - skip this one
Review: This book was the recommended text for a Java Programming class at the University of Maryland, University College. In addition to being a student I have also been a programmer for the last 6 years. This is one of the worst programming books, Java or otherwise, that I've ever read. Two weeks into the course, this book hit the trash can and I purchased a different book from which to learn Java from. Even our instructor apologized for the University's poor choice in class text.
Rating:
Summary: I guess it was all right
Review: This book was used in one of my freshman classes as an introduction to Java programming. The book was fairly easy to understand and did a decent job of explaining things. I think my biggest complaint is the use of the javagently text class. The way the book is written made the reader/user too dependent on it, and at a loss for what to do if/when the class wasn't present. While using JavaGently I found myself frequenting the API's at java.sun.com. I have since used it for reference, but the lack of detail on material covered by the javagently text class has had a negative impact on this book.
Rating:
Summary: Nice picture of an elephant.
Review: Unfortunately, that is probably about the best thing I can say about this text.
Being a complete novice without any previous programming experience, I expected to find learning Java hard. I cannot express how much more difficult, and at the same time demoralising, the process has been made by this book.
I can understand that difficult decisions must be made when writing an "introductory" text; a large part of the learning process relies on blind-faith, as not all essential concepts may be covered at one time. However, while I do not doubt the authors credentials as a Java programmer, I was continually frustrated by the way she leapt around from one thing to another, with no concept ever being fully explained.
I liked the idea of using example programs to illustrate concepts. But how much of my time was wasted trying to work out why these programs would not compile? - more often than not they contained errors or were missing lines of code!
Furthermore, how can you justify giving sample questions at the end of each chapter which rely on the next two chapters to be read before the student is able to solve them? If you are a due to lecture a Java course, please, for the sake of your students and your own sanity, do not recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: WONDERFUL BOOK
Review: WOW i found this book to be a splendid piece of writing. i have accomplished all of my goals as a java programmer. It is Just a shame that the teacher who reviewed this book had a brain the size of a cat. when i read the first 5 chapters i thought as though i had programmed for years. If he can't teach College students to program he should pick a new profession. The way Bishop describes while loops makes we want to cream my pants. i would recommed this book to anyone who wants to learn java. but however if you are truly want to learn dont take a certain cat adoring professor at canisiuc college. My opinion 2 programming thumbs up.
Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL BOOK
Review: WOW i found this book to be a splendid piece of writing. i have accomplished all of my goals as a java programmer. It is Just a shame that the teacher who reviewed this book had a brain the size of a cat. when i read the first 5 chapters i thought as though i had programmed for years. If he can't teach College students to program he should pick a new profession. The way Bishop describes while loops makes we want to cream my pants. i would recommed this book to anyone who wants to learn java. but however if you are truly want to learn dont take a certain cat adoring professor at canisiuc college. My opinion 2 programming thumbs up.
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