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Summary: Just Java: just what I needed
Review: After having been exposed to Java informally over the years, and perusing several introductory books on the topic, I finally found the one book which suits my needs perfectly. This books lays it all out in a concise yet very clear manner. The author is unafraid to cut through ambiguities and give a crisp professional opinion, which is what distinguishes a great learning book from a mere reference. The little "light relief" sections at the end of every chapter are also quite entertaining and thought-provoking. If you want a dry, dull, heartless manual on the mechanics of Java (like perhaps Fred G), then look elsewhere. But if you want a primer that teachs you not only the "what" but also the "why" and the "how", and which additionally benefits from the perspective of an industry veteran, then Just Java is just what you need.
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Summary: Excellent, once again
Review: Although I acquired many Java books when I was first learning the language, Just Java and Sun's Java web-pages have become the only two resources I use on a daily basis. I expect that this new edition will quickly become as thumbed as my previous edition.PvdL's biggest strength as a technical author is his background as a long-time programmer. He understands what an experienced programmer will look for in a general language reference book, and seeks to provide the information in a concise and witty form. As an example of the clarity of the writing, I should note his explanation of autoboxing and Unboxing (new in Java2 1.5). This is already part of the .Net languages, but while the various .Net books I've read take long sections to try and explain the concept, Just Java 6 managed to explain it in little more than 1 page *and finally help me understand it fully*! While this book certainly isn't for people who have never programmed before, it's a great resource for anyone who's coming to Java from another language. It's also not an in-depth treatment of every possible Java library - if you want a book that tells you about everything Swing does, for example, you should look elsewhere. What it does instead is to explain the basics of the libraries, give you a good grounding in their use, and then point you towards sources of other information should you need them. An excellent update of an essential book.
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Summary: Easy reading
Review: I am biased, since I helped Peter edit the chapters on enumerated types and genericity.
I really like Peter's easy-reading style. You can curl up in bed and read the book cover to cover without getting bored or lost. He gives you short comic breaks at the end of each chapter.
He uses easy to understand concrete examples, so you know without a doubt what the code is TRYING to do, as he introduces the language features one at a time. he also gives you the complete code, so you can try them out and experiment.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book, bad editing
Review: I should preface this by stating that I have not quite finished reading this book. I am on chapter 21 out of 28. The remaining chapters are mostly an overview of the Java Enterprise features which are of no interest to me.
I got this book with no prior Java experience. This was just about the only Java book available at the time which covered JDK 1.5 and I wanted to start with the latest and greatest.
This book is written in a somewhat light-hearted style which makes learning this technical garbola almost fun. Unfortunately, like most technical books of this type, this makes for a horrible reference. At 800+ pages it seems to only scratch the surface of Java.
Overall, this book is a reasonably good introduction to the Java language. However, once the language is covered and the author starts to get into the libraries, the quality is a bit more sporatic. The I/O chapters are excellent, while the GUI chapters don't go into enough detail to be very useful.
My biggest complaint is the number of glaring errors in the text. For example, in the Swing overview the author emphasizes how critical it is to update items on display within the context of the event dispatching thread, but fails to notice that his preceeding example broke this very rule. My copy of this book is a first printing. Hopefully these errors will be corrected in the next.
I was also upset that the author's web site for the book did not contain the information promised in the text. All I could find there was the clock program source, and even that was not as promised (the code was modified to include the answer to one of the chapter exercises).
I don't regret this purchase, but I am expecting a better book when I eventually purchase Core Java.
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Summary: Loved it - fast access to essential Java
Review: I'm wondering if the "Fred G" reviewer forgot to check his "under 13 years old" box when giving his opinions. "Just Java" has been refined over 6 editions - I have bought the last 4 of them.
It has the most up-to-date Java information, laid out in a logical flow. It's a well organized, concise logical text, that throws in the occasional light relief about other events in the Java world. There aren't any other books on the market that cover Java 5 (at this time Sept 04). The chapter on enum types introduces this new feature in clear and straightforward terms relating it to Java features already explained.
Definitely recommended for programmers both experienced and new, who want hands-on sleeves rolled up guidance from an expert.
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Summary: Personally, I think this book is awful
Review: I've been a programmer/software engineer since the early '80's, and I've worked on PC's, minis, and mainframes using traditional languages, 4GL's, and numerous DBMS.
I have recently landed a position where I need to learn JAVA. This book is ATROCIOUS. Disorganized, infused with humor that really isn't that funny, and a lot of excess verbal baggage that I personally don't have time for.
I would have preferred a concise, logical text that gets right down to business, moves in linear fashion, and actually gets somewhere quickly. I don't have time to read this egomaniac author's BS - c'mon, buddy, get to the point and stop wasting my time.
This book is definitely not for experienced programmers who want INFORMATION and sleeves-up instruction. Save your time and money and buy something else.
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Summary: Here is what makes this book so good:
Review: This book is engaging, humourous and concise. If you've ever had a CS professor who was brilliant at explaining things and was driven by enthusiasm, this is the book that that prof would write. Just Java2 is an excellent book for someone learning the language for the first time. I can't comment on the completeness or integrity of the examples, since I have only read a few of the Chapters in detail.
This is really a Java course in a book and not a reference. The Chapters are well organized and thoughtfully titled, making it relatively easy to find what your looking for.
I have read all the "Light relief" sections. They are by turns thought provoking, funny, and informative. They reveal some of the issues and history of software development, adding a dimension of anecdotal knowledge that I think is important.
Let me emphasize that Just Java is very well written. The author alludes to improvements and refinements resulting from his own experience with classroom teaching over the past few years. It shows, making it an excellent book for learning Java.
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Summary: Excellent Book
Review: This book is excellent, written much more as a rich yet gradual tutorial. I definitely recommend it to any developers wanting to learn Java. The examples are solid, rich, and well thought out.
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Summary: Solid introductory walkthrough
Review: This is a tour guide through the main Java APIs. It starts with a language walkthrough then goes on through the basics of objects and onto the APIs. Sections like XML, JDBC and others are covered at a fairly high level. The basics are covered by using example problem solutions. There isn't much for reference, but you wouldn't expect it from this book.
The coverage of the new features in the language, especially generics, is well integrated. I suppose the time of the dedicated Java 1.5 features book is over and now the new versions of the Java introductory books will include all of these new features.
A solid all-in-one walkthrough of the Java language and the basic APIs. Though myself I would buy two books. One on the Java language only, and another on the foundation classes.
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Summary: Great, overall summary of the latest Java API
Review: This is cerainly my favorite Java book, and I have either owned or browsed through many of them. Certainly, there are better books which focus on specific aspects of this enormous language. However, for a concise explanation of the basic Java language and the ever-growing API, I believe this is the best book. I have owned earlier versions of this book, and it is interesting to see how the author has honed the explanations of certain language features so that they can be explained more clearly in fewer words. Plus, the fact that this is the sixth edition of the book is a good indication that the author and the publisher are commited to keeping it current. That's extremely important for a language which refuses to stop growing.
For readers (like me) who have spent most of therir careers writing programs in a traditional procedural language (C in my case), the book also provides an excellent introduction to Object-Oriented Programming, its concepts and its issues.
Some readers may be put off by the part of each chapter named "Some light relief". These sections are anecdotes (albeit technical ones) about some aspect of computer-based technology. If you just want to get up to speed on Java as fast as possible, you can easily skip them. But, if you do, you're probably the type of person who doesn't read footnotes, either. :-) I, personally, enjoyed most of them, especially for the insider's view they provide of the real word of technology and software development. These sections remind me of what one reviewer said about Abelson and Sussman's classic "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs": there's more valuable information in its footnotes than there is in most entire books.
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