Thinking In Java (4th Edition)
This book is the best way to learn the core language of Java and to learn about object-oriented programming and design. It is really meant for someone who has a some Java programming experiences; I do not recommend it for a novice.
You might ask: where should a novice start? Java is not a great language for n00bs; at the North Carolina School of Science and Math we begin with Python. The Python site has several good e-books and lots of tutorials. If you have never programmed before, begin here. Learn about forking, looping, functions, recursion and about working with objects such as lists,
tuples and dictionaries.
If you know how to write simple procedures and have some programming experience, the eccentric Head First Java published by O'Reilly is a fun and accessible place to begin with Java. I'd recommend if you are a beginner, you start with Dr Java ([...]). This runs on all platforms and has and "interactions pane" that allows you to inspect your classes live.
Once you make your way through this book, you can turn to Eckel's book; you will find it accessible and informative. It will build on your intuition you acquired reading Head First Java. Eckel's book does not address much in the way of GUIs. The O'Reilly book Learning Java can help you with that. Learning the material in these two books will give you a significant knowledge of Java.
In short, this book has an important place in the OO/Java cannon. It belongs in every serious programmer's library.
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