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Rating: 
Summary: A very good-quality introduction to Java/programming!
Review: "Jave Gently" is an excellent programming primer using the Java language. While most other Java books focus on applets or lack of programming concept, it gives well-balanced and comprehensive introduction to programming and data structures as well as Java, with all practical examples, to readers. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn the essential of object-oriented programming or the Java language or both.
Rating: 
Summary: look somewhere else
Review: As a student at University of Pretoria, we had the privilege of having Ms Bishop as our lecturer. And we had to fork over money for her book. (Can you really call that thing a book?) A book that was about to be released in 2nd edition not more than a month after we had to buy it. i.e. we forked over our dosh for a pricey, out of date textbook that was about to be replaced with a spell-corrected version. My idea of a book is a useful and descriptive entity which covers a subject with sufficient depth to make it worthwhile reading. Not so for Java Gently. The result - 6 months wasted trying to decipher the content of this book. If only we had been wider awake we would have boycotted this book and bought a decent one. Don't waste your money on this one - was written by a person who is not a good lecturer at all.
Rating:
Summary: Shame there's not negative stars!
Review: I am a first time programmer and there is very little about this book that is gentle. What a misnomer this title is! I hate this book. It makes no sense if you don't have any prior knowledge of programming. Makes a better doorstop than anything else. Can't wait till this course is over so I can throw this book in the trash where it belongs. There must be better books out there!
Rating: 
Summary: This book could have been good..
Review: I am a student at the University of Pretoria who was forced to learn java from "Java Gently". The truth is that I am ashamed that a Professor from our University could actually publish a book like this. The idea is good, but the order in which topics are handled is terrible. Bishop doesn't even explain input until you are months into the course, and then only by using her own text-class which, when I downloaded the first version, did not even compile. (I have heard that later versions do compile.) Personally I disagree with teaching people who know nothing about input and output handling in java to use shortcuts (as in javagently.text)before you teach them the real thing. She also frequently uses concepts in examples which she doesn't explain until three of four chapters later. This makes the debugging of the expamples(!) hell. The case-studies, however, are very helpful. (once you have debugged them.). This could have been a very good book if someone actually proofread it before it was printed. I recommend this book if you are a massochist, who likes figuring things out for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Great for a programming guy
Review: I know programming in other languages too. So when I took up this book, it was with a view to learn something nice really fast. And let me tell you, it was great. I had read a couple of books that tell you how to write applets and have graphics in them. But this book shows how to make your own graphs using APPLICATIONS and makes it seem so easy! I also learnt to write the chat server from this book. Marvellous piece of Java literature.
Rating:
Summary: Readers are warned
Review: If you take a look at the reviews so far, you will see one common denominator: those who have little programming experience are greatly frustrated with this book. But programmers who need to learn a new language, seem to think that it is quite OK. I would have to place myself in the first category. I read the first couple of chapters as part of a university course, but soon abandoned the book. The learning curve is way too steep for beginners. The progression of themes bears witness of limited pedagogical insight. But I still believe that folks with plenty of programming experience may enjoy this book. I give it two stars, though, primarily because of the inappropriate title. This is NOT a 'gentle' introduction to Java. Maybe the third edition has improved in this respect (published December 2000)?
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: 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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