Customer Reviews

Head First Java (2nd Edition)

5 star:		(168)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

I really wanted to like this book. I bought the Head First book on design patterns and love it. It was the right mix of irreverance and information. So, I bought this book even though I have been a Java developer for over 5 years. I was excited to see how the Head First authors handled a beginners book for Java.

Not too well, in my opinion. Chapter Three, in particular, was a mess. This chapter introduces the notion of variables yet never explains what an integer variable is. No explanation is given of the float type. We are told that a byte holds 8 bits...but not told what a bit is. We are not told how to assign a hexadecimal value to an int. We are not told that if we assign a numeric value with a leading zero...the compiler will assume that you meant to use octal values. The reader is not told that Strings are immutable. These are all things that will trip up a beginner (the target market for this book). The author of this chapter doesn't even bother to mention that a Java array uses a zero-based index.

Both primitives and the notion of classes are introduced in Chapter Three. Yet, the author doesn't mention that all primitives (except boolean) have wrapper classes. Strings are introduced...but, no mention is made of the StringBuffer or StringBuilder (very useful and often used classes). These items are included in the back of the book in Appendix B.

There are so many things left out that I wonder if the publisher actually had any beginners read this book. Readers of this book will finish this book still ignorant of many Java essentials.

Here is one of their dumbed-down explanations for an object reference:

"Think of a Dog reference variable as a Dog remote control. You use it to get the object to do something (invoke methods). An object reference is just another variable value. Something that goes in a cup. Only, this time, the value is a remote control."

Huh? Granted, they had been using the "cup" metaphor before...but, still I found this book confusing, superficial, and somewhat insulting. It felt like reading a children's Weekly Reader book. (It even has crossword puzzles)

I like the idea of making learning fun. However, in their attempt to make it fun they left out so much info which is pertinent to the beginning Java programmer. Apparently, another rule of the Head First series is that there MUST be a cute picture on every page. Many times, the logical flow of text is hindered because they had to fit a non-illuminating, unnecessary graphic on the page. Many of the pictures are unnecessary and do not help to explain the content at all. Many paragraphs are confusing, unclear, or simply badly structured. The editors were asleep on this one.

Many newbies are giving this book high marks. Unfortunately, they are woefully ignorant of the fact that this book left out a ton of info that is pertinent to actually coding Java well. One poster here raves that he was able to cover 60 pages in one day. In my opinion...ease of reading is not the only criteria for a good programming book.

My recommendations for Java beginners: Beginning Java by Ivor Horton or Core Java by Cay Horstmann.

I like writing reviews on technical books because I think they are of enormous value to those considering buying the book. I buy a lot of books online and the reviews that I read are by far the most important thing that influences my decision to buy. Or not.
I also like to read what others before me have written. In this case - and for all of the "Head First" books I have read - I heartily agree with what virtually all others have written: these books are a great way to learn complicated, and oftentimes boring, subject material.
So I won't rehash what others have already written, except to say that if what you read was good - believe it.
I think the most important thing I can say about this book is that I agree with what Hye Nyoun Eum Kim wrote: NOT for beginners. I remember thinking to myself throughout the book that a fair, or at least some, amount of Java knowledge would be necessary in order to understand what the authors were covering.
If you already know Java and want to know it better, buy this book. If you are new to Java, and especially if you are new to programming, I still recommend buying this book. But do yourself a favor - check out other introductory Java books and buy one of those as well. A good starting point? I have bought the "Just Java" (by Peter van der Linden) books ever since Java 1.0 came out.

I am only 12 years old, and struggled to find a java book that would teach me the language without assuming that I had previous experience with programming. This book was the answer. It was a quick read, and the pages flew by very quickly. The visually enhanced text made learning as close as possible to fun. I would reccommend this book to all who have little to no programming expierience, because it does cover some basic topics that are common to all languages.

This book was written in an entertaining way using various tools (jokes, pictures, surprises, quizes, games, etc) keeping the reader's mind engage in learning difficult concepts.

This is in accordance of the Head First's learning principles which are:
1. Make it visual
2. Use conversational and personalized style
3. Get the learner to think more deeply
4. Get and keep the reader's attention
5. Touch their emotions

I teach Object Oriented Programming, and I use some of the illustrations from this book in my class. My students love it!

I've been a professional programmer for years and I had to learn Java fast to stay in my current engagement. The "Learn-Java-In-24-Hours" style books had appealing titles but instead I decided to try this weird, truly different approach to learning because O'Reilly published it. (I have been familiar with O'Reilly for years and always recognized them as a top-flight publisher, although their books often had a formal, college-textbookish tone that made them better reference books than read-thru books.) I was put off by the graphics-intensive comic book style when I paged through the sample on-line at Amazon but decided to give it a try.

I think they're really on to something here. I can only speak for myself, as someone who already has a background in programming, but I believe the book actually works. Over a couple weeks I read the book, did the little puzzles and exercises which the authors were so insistent that I do, and was really surprised at the depth of knowledge I came out with at the other end.

Sitting in a developer's meeting yesterday I was really surprised that, while I clearly didn't have the years of experience the other coders had, I had no problem keeping up and was even able to contribute. I'm now moving in to the new assignment fairly well and am confident that I'll be able to pick up the details of this language now that I've got such a good grounding from this book.

I've now ordered the companion O'Reilly volumes on Enterprise JavaBeans and Design Patterns and am curious to see if they can maintain the same level of quality. Those skills would really seem to set a programmer apart, a critical consideration in a world where the competition is getting better (and unfortunately cheaper) every day.

That's my opinion in a nutshell about the Head First Series of computer books. I like this book, and the other 3 that I own, a lot. I didn't give it 5 stars because this review is for you. People learn differently and have expectations to meet their needs. This book is informative, interactive and upbeat. It provokes thought and problem-solving by continously prompting your brain to give input. When you're done - you know Java and a lot of subtle nuances.

I realize this is a "soft" review. There are some hardcore people who want to know "will it talk about this or that?" The simple answer is "yes." It begins by assuming you've done some programming, not just HTML. It's jammed tight with important information. So if you use a highlighter, put it down and get a paint brush. This is not a "linear" book written for the person who wants to read and memorize references. Java is a language and its taught by engaging the reader into a mental dialogue. It's fun. You won't fall asleep. You'll learn a lot. But more importantly, you'll remember even more.

How can you go wrong with a tech book that has code, ducks and Java crossword puzzles? Better know your stuff baby or read the book because it comes with a mantra, "Release Your Code." How did it work for me? Shh...5 stars!

This is an excellent book. I used this book in conjunction with the free online Java tutorials provided by Sun Microsystems. The book introduced me the concepts, and the tutorials solidified them while giving me added breadth and depth. I was a complete noob to Java prior to reading this book. My background: I had taken a class in C and one in C++ as well as read a book on C++. The way the book is presented is excellent for visual learners (like me). I'm now reading Head First Design Patterns; also very interesting.

This book, as well as series, goes a long way to helping you learn. The concepts may not always be well enough explained. However, this is understandable is it is apparent that the collaborative authors seem to do all that they can to make the teaching and learning of the concepts fun.

I would highly recommend this book to any one who is just getting started with programming. I tried to learn Java through a number of other teach myself methods. It was not until I read Head First Java that I actually got it. Since then, I have moved on to more advanced concepts and have had a lot of fun with coding. Unfortunately, most books that deal with teaching development read like someone's thesis. Bates and Sierra have provided a book that is not only a very effective teaching tool but also a whole lot of fun to read. I wish all cerebral subjects were taught this way. If you like fooling around in the library, then you will love Head First Java and the Head First series!

After reading a great book titled "Thinking in Java (JAVA 1.4)" by Bruce Ekcel. That book is so far the best book I have read on JAVA so far. It has TONS of information and for the most part the author does a very good job in explaining the information. However my main complaint with the TIJ book was that it was very hard to read at times due to the author's writting style.

I ordered Head First Java to fill in some subjects that didn't quite stick from reading Thinking in Java and just to basically get a second perspective of the language from another author.

This book does an excellent job in explaining JAVA concepts and the authors' fun writing style make it easy to follow along. The pictures make concepts easier to grasp. The code in the book works for the most part but there are some errors in the code, however if you have been following along they are easily caught.

As others have mentioned this book does not cover EVERYTHING on JAVA 5. Off the top of my head, I can tell you that this book does not explain ANONYMOUS inner classes or reflection. This book however does enough to get you started writing JAVA apps and has made some concepts that didn't quite stick with the TIJ book easier to understand.

This should not be your ONLY JAVA book because some things ARE left out that would make some of the program more robust. A perfect example of this fact is that annonymous inner classes are not taught in this book, which are very good for coding actionListeners for GUI components. But with that being said, this book should definetely be one of your first because many of the topics they do go over are taught very well. Once you finish this book you should be more comfortable with the more "advanced" books like Thinking in Java which is also a greak book as I have already read the 1.4 edition. After finishing this book, I plan to read Eckel's Thinking in Java (JAVA 5 edition) book next and I suspect it will be easier to follow along.

You do need a little programming experience to be able to get the most out of this book as it assumes you already know some things.

For what this book is supposed to do it does an excellent job and has been the best JAVA book I have read so far as far as presentation is concerned.

I also got Head First Patterns and am eager to read that book as well.

Stay away from the Learn JAVA in x minutes/hours books! If you want to learn JAVA the right way, go with Thinking in Java by Bruce Eckel AND the Head First book.

I have played with the Java language off and on for over a year now and have not been able to find a book that I would say helps me learn the language. I have had two Java classes and the books were, in my opinion, worthless. I wish I had titles for them. They were physically bulky and also very wordy.

I have had this book, "Head First Java, 2nd Edition" for about two weeks now and absolutely love it. I recommend reading everything before the first chapter because it offers great information about reading habits and how to get the best out of the book. The material in the first three chapters has been very easy to grasp and the code in the book is fun to play with. This book is also Java 1.5/5.0 ready.

Also, java.sun.com has a great java tutorial and I also recommend reading this as a free source. Always nice to have a good book though.

I recommend this book to any upcoming Java developer, even current developers will love it. It would definitely been in the top 5 java books, period.