Customer Reviews

Big Java

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First, this is unmistakably a book for entry-level programmers. The experienced might find other books more useful -- this one starts with basic principles.

That said, I still found it useful enough to keep my copy after I was through with the course that required it.

The writing is very clear, with numerous examples. Concepts from variables to multithreading are generally explained in an easy-to-follow manner. The book is nicely laid out and well-indexed, too, and the combination of traits makes it a good quick-reference tool for a refresher.

It is, however, lacking in depth of technical detail. This makes it easily accessible to new programmers, but experienced ones will want to have other references handy.

Having never taken a program course before this, I was pleasantly surprised at the candid nature of Horstmann's writing. Often, author of textbooks will sound promising in their introductions but not deliver in the execution of a tome. Here, however, we find in Horstmann a author gifted at explaining difficult concepts with a lucidity that cannot always be taken for granted. Bravo!

Don't get me wrong; this is a good Java text. The concepts are explained in a pretty clear manner, which is a trick when trying to explain OOP concepts to someone who has never programmed (which is the book's target audience). But that also leads me to my main criticism of the book: it tries to cover too much material. Anyone who knows C or C++ will find significant chunks of the book to be only review. Even Visual Basic coders will find parts of the book that cover stuff they already know (e.g. rudimentary programming concepts).

So if you've never written a computer program, and you want to learn Java, this might be your best bet (although your goal -- and the price of the book -- are a bit daunting). If you already know how to program, but don't know about objects or Java, I would recommend Eckel's "Thinking in Java" (4th edition), or "Head First Java" from O'Reilly.

This book really is worth every penny. It makes learning about Java much easier. Anyone just learning Java should get this book. It is not filled wit all those gibberish details that most Java books have that tend to confuse you. Get this book as part of you collection.

I'm in CS 161, but the lectures are somewhat of a joke. I learn more just from reading the book and doing the programming projects. The book has a logical progression of techniques, and an optional "Graphics Track" Which get's you started working with GUI's right away. I think it's safe to say this copy is going to stay in my personal reference library. Get your own!

What this is /not/ is a code dictionary. It has a limited glossary in the back, but you'd be better off looking up the Java API, or an O'Reilly type code dictionary.

Big java is a good place to begin learning how to program, and to begin learning the Java language. It teaches all the basic control structures and syntax necessary to begin programming quickly. They also have an optional WileyPlus program for testing / additional review and source code. It might have been nice if the source code was included for free with the book on a Cd or through a download but still a good book.

My husband got this book for a class online. It was the cheapest around compared to actual book stores for the same exact thing. Worth getting!

So far, this book has been a big help in my programming class. When I got the book, the cover had some bent corners but the inside pages were in great condition. The price was reasonable and the shipping was relatively quick. I have enjoyed reading the book so far, learning how to program in Java. As of yet, I do not know whether or not I would recommend this book to anyone because I have barely read any of it, but I have noticed that more example problems would be nice. Lastly I really would have liked a hard cover a lot more because they keep the book in nice condition longer. That was a bummer. Overall, a good book for the price.

One must already know computers and programming. But in this case, the book is a good and lengthy introduction to java language and the system accompanying it. The style is scholar with exercises.

Note that graphics don't work with all the javac's.

Has everything you need for reference. But like any other textbook it's a dry read.