Thinking in Java (3rd Edition)

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Summary: Makes you a Java programmer
Review: Excellent book to for first time Java programmers. Eckel covers almost every aspect, from networking to applets, from I/O to exception handling. Of course, since the author has tried to cover all these aspects within 850 pages, you shouldn't expect too much depth. But for medium level Java coding, this book should suffice.

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Summary: OUTSTANDING, Comprehensive introduction to JAVA and OOP
Review: A through and informative introduction to JAVA using object oriented design principles and patterns. Both JAVA 1.2 and 1.1 are explained and differences highlighted. Although expert JAVA programmers may find specific parts of the various API's are not covered in exacting detail, all JAVA users will learn something from this book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

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Summary: This is really a good one!
Review: Thinking in JAVA is *THE* JAVA tutorial: it covers all the aspects of the language and of object oriented programming and it is very pleasant to read. Maybe the author repeats some concepts too many times, but may be a virtue. ;-)

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Summary: The True Java Bible
Review: This book has it all. Bruce has covered so many areas, and so well too! Bruce tells us what parts of Java that are well designed, and also criticizes the poorly designed parts (like AWT 1.0). When learning Java, this was my number one reference. No other books that I have read have covered so many areas so well - in fact, I think this is the best programming book I have ever read! This is truly the Java Bible.

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Summary: Went places tutorials never take you.
Review: This book dealt with issues that the tutorial books do not even look at. This book is a must read for intermediate to advanced Java developers. It was an absolute joy to read. It had me wanting to buy Thinking in C++ just to read more Eckel.

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Summary: Excellent Java book.
Review: This book is excellent for those needing an introduction to Java. I still refer to the book constantly. The book is a little heavy for true programming novices, though.

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Summary: TOTALLY lacking in depth. For the beginning programmer ONLY.
Review: I found this book nearly useless, with almost no coverage of advanced concepts that the professional developer needs to know about soon after getting started. I heard this book was good for OO development but found even chapters related to objects severely retarded. The author can't seem to write without attempting numerous unamusing anecdotes and other dry humor that have little to do with the material being presented. The coverage is light on virtually every subject. This book should only be considered by people not only new to Java but programming in general. It would be a good idea to learn speed reading as well since there's a lot of fluff. (I sent this book back, it didn't belong with the dozens of other java titles I have on my shelf.)

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Summary: The best Java book on offer
Review: I've read a number of the reviews on this book and while some of the reviewers make good points about the negative aspects, I think this is by far the BEST book on Java and related OO topics. I found myself reading it going "Oh, I didn't know that... oh, I didn't know that!". I've read other books and this one's the hands-down winner. Bruce, how about a 2nd edition including JDK1.2 and more info on Swing (JFC)... and Bruce, GridBagLayout isn't THAT bad... it's the best layout manager for designing professional looking GUI's so please cover it in your next edition.

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Summary: Good reference for those who have a little java experience
Review: This book offers tiny examples and prose for just about all the aspects of Java. They are very concise and to the point, giving you time to analyze them closer; and maybe use the javadocs to get the feel of how everything fits into place. I'll probably reference this book often in the future. I don't think that this would be an "easy read " for those who are new to programming, so it's probably wise to get a little programming experience first.

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Summary: A book of all !
Review: For those who have not had Object Oriented programming before Java, this is a good book to own. There are many good examples in the book explained in details.