Thinking in Java should be read cover to cover by every Java programmer, then kept close at hand for frequent reference. The exercises are challenging, and the chapter on Collections is superb! Not only did this book help me to pass the Sun Certified Java Programmer exam; it's also the first book I turn to whenever I have a Java question. (Jim Pleger, Loudoun County (Virginia) Government)

Absolutely one of the best programming tutorials I've seen for any language. (Joakim Ziegler, FIX sysop)

Thank you again for your awesome book. I was really floundering (being a non-C programmer), but your book has brought me up to speed as fast as I could read it. It's really cool to be able to understand the underlying principles and concepts from the start, rather than having to try to build that conceptual model through trial and error. Hopefully I will be able to attend your seminar in the not-too-distant future. (Randall R. Hawley, automation technician, Eli Lilly & Co.)

This is one of the best books I've read about a programming language.... The best book ever written on Java. (Ravindra Pai, Oracle Corporation, SUNOS product line)

Other books cover the what of Java (describing the syntax and the libraries) or the how of Java (practical programming examples). Thinking in Java is the only book I know that explains the why of Java: Why it was designed the way it was, why it works the way it does, why it sometimes doesn't work, why it's better than C++, why it's not. Although it also does a good job of teaching the what and how of the language, Thinking in Java is definitely the thinking person's choice in a Java book. (Robert S. StephensonAwards for Thinking in Java2003 Software Development Magazine Jolt Award for Best Book)
 

2003 Java Developer's Journal Reader's Choice Award for Best Book

2001 Java World Editor's Choice Award for Best Book

2000 Java World Reader's Choice Award for Best Book

1999 Software Development Magazine Productivity Award

1998 Java Developer's Journal Editor's Choice Award for Best BookThinking in Java has earned raves from programmers worldwide for its extraordinary clarity, careful organization, and small, direct programming examples. From the fundamentals of Java syntax to its most advanced features, Thinking in Java is designed to teach, one simple step at a time.

• The classic object-oriented introduction for beginners and experts alike, fully updated for Java SE5/6 with many new examples and chapters! 

• Test framework shows program output. 

• Design patterns are shown with multiple examples throughout: Adapter, Bridge, Chain of Responsibility, Command, Decorator, Facade, Factory Method, Flyweight, Iterator, Data Transfer Object, Null Object, Proxy, Singleton, State, Strategy, Template Method, and Visitor. 

• Introduction to XML for data transfer; SWT, Flash for user interfaces. 

• Completely rewritten concurrency chapter gives you a solid grasp of threading fundamentals. 

• 500+ working Java programs in 700+ compiling files, rewritten for this edition and Java SE5/6. 

• Companion web site includes all source code, annotated solution guide, weblog, and multimedia seminars. 

• Thorough coverage of fundamentals; demonstrates advanced topics. 

• Explains sound object-oriented principles. 

• Hands-On Java Seminar CD available online, with full multimedia seminar by Bruce Eckel.