Rating: 
Summary: Poor organizaton
Review: while the actual syntax and diction of this book weren't too horrible, the overall presentation and orginization of the book is very poor. the author divides up the chapter not according to decimal numbers (for example chapter 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, etc...) but THE SIZE OF THE HEADLINES. This is very difficult to tell between whether the author is trying to introduce an entirely new concept or explain more about a previous one. Trying to find a defenition to one of the vocabulary words in bold text is painful. Very rarely does the author actually come out and say what a term means, instead he will go into how it is useful, and how it can be useful in methods (ideas and such; not class functions). The author spreads ideas around in the text. For example, I think I've read about 4 chapters so far that end by talking about how good the garbage collector is. It would be nice if the author instead talked about the garbage collector in one specific chapter in the book and just told the reader to refer to this chapter whenever they wanted to learn about the garbage collector instead of describing what it is and why it is good over and over and over. If I have to read the same thing about the garbage collector one more time (and I'm sure I will) I am going to vomit.
Rating: 
Summary: If you like Java...
Review: The book got me far enough into the language for me to see that it's (Java) not really worth it (my opinion, not his). Saved me a lot of time. Bruce is one of the clearest technical authors I have had the pleasure to encounter. Right up there with the best. His "Thinking in C++" is a masterwork of clarity.
Rating: 
Summary: Not for beginners
Review: Definitively this book is not for beginners, I only opened one time.
Rating:
Summary: Good book but lacking solutions to exercises
Review: I downloaded the TIJ book and started reading the first two chapters. Initially, I thought this was an excellent book. Bruce Eckel says that the solutions to the exercises are available online for a small fee. I was planning to purchase the solutions but when I went to his site, he says that he has the solutions for chapters 2 and 3 only and that he does not know when he can complete the solutions for the remaining chapters. Right there and then, I stopped reading the book. He misled the readers of his book. I was supposed to give him 5 stars for his good writing style but decided to give his book a net rating of 2 for lacking solutions to exercises.
Rating:
Summary: General principles are very thorough
Review: I have yet to comment to anyone in email about any book I have read, but of the 25 or so Java books I have, this one is the best. The presentation on binding and polymorphism made some points that I have never come across in all of my readings on operating systems, programming, etc.
Rating:
Summary: good content; poor presentation; free on web...
Review: This book had pretty good content, but it is essentially just a bound printout of the book which is available for free on the author's website. Don't waste your money.
Rating: 
Summary: Great on OO but lacking in API
Review: The book is a GREAT introduction to OO. It doesn't just say - this is what you are allowed to write (syntax), and this is what will happen if you write it (semantics). No, Bruce Eckel also explains WHY the features are included in Java, how to use them in ways, that give a good desing. So - the book really explains how to make good oo design, using the features of the Java Language. On the DOWNSIDE, the chapters covering central parts of the Java API are not good at all. That is the chapters on Collections, I/O, Threads and Swing. Bruce doesn't give an overall view of the API's, and when diagrams are included (almost never), they are extremely chaotic. He does not succed in explaining the overall design of those API's, which makes it really hard to figure out how the pieces fit together. And the problem is not that the APIs are complex - in fact - when you see the overall picture, the APIs are really easy to grasp, problem is, you have to put this picture together yourself - the book doesn't help in that matter.
Rating:
Summary: Very well done
Review: This is one of the better Overview Java books I have yet to read. I recommend this book to any programmer who knows the basics but everything just doesn't make sense. This book puts Java into perspective. Good Job Bruce!
Rating:
Summary: one of the best java books! period!
Review: great book for the c/c++ programmer that is converting to java, as well as the newbie.
Although i skipped some of the non practical beginning which is geared towards the non experienced reader, the book explains the concepts of OOP (object oriented programming, for u non OOP experienced users :) very well, as well as the logic behind why things are the way they are in java (this will, with out a doubt increase your java/programming logic, hence the title:"Thinking in Java")
Bruce Eckel is known as a great Java guru, and not with out just cause..(double negative, my english teacher will have my head for that:)
bottem line
if you want to learn java, this book is for you, you will not be sorry once you start reading it...
Rating:
Summary: my top resource
Review: There are many sources of Java literature and learning. Some in the form of books, some in the form online tutorials. After writing technical articles for IBM, reviewing many of the online resources, and buying dozens of Java books, Bruce's 'Thinking in Java' is still my top resource. Bruce not only presents the information in a readable style, but gives context to specific subjects, giving greater depth and meaning to what your reading. If you are looking for Java language specifications, go to the java.sun.com site and download the specs. If you never programmed before, go take a programming course. If you want to start your career in Java, except the Java mindset, and buy the book. Java is very deep and wide, TIJ is just the beginning of a long and wonderful journey.
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