C++ How to Program (5th Edition) (How to Program)

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Java How to Program (6th Edition) (How to Program (Deitel))

Format: Paperback
Author: Harvey M. Deitel
ReleaseDate: 04 August, 2004
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Rating:

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Great book for learning java. Search for ISBN 0131290142 in amazon's database. They cover just about everything for the beginning user. .

Not for everyone
It is written in a confused manner that gives the reader too much information on each page. While I found this book informative and detailed, I think that may be the main problem with it. I was constantly feeling bombarded. The information is presented in several different ways on each page and it can get disorienting while reading. That said, the book is very thorough and well researched. I am not sure that it is anywhere worth the price, however. For a third of the money you might consider Java: A Beginner's Guide by Schildt, or one of the O'Reilly books.

Good and detailed introduction

I found this book very helpful to bring me up to speed within one week. I had programming experience in python, C, and some other languges and needed to learn Java. It is a detailed course that contains a lot of information to satisfy any need. If you have limited time, selective reading is a must to master these 1,500 pages. The books also serves well as a reference once you start writing your code.
Due to its volume, you should mark your notes with page numbers, otherwise, it will be difficult to find the places of interest quickly, despite the good table of contents and a detailed keyword index.
This book saved me a lot of time and fully satisfied my expectations.