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Title: Learn to Program with Java by John Smiley ISBN: 0-07-213189-6 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media Pub. Date: 02 November, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $39.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.67 (46 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Excellent introductory text for learning Java
Comment: This is an excellent book for anyone with limited programming experience who wants a gentle introduction to the world of Java - as the title of the book suggests, you are literally learning to program using Java as the teaching tool. So those reviewers complaining that the book is too basic are perhaps missing the point.
That aside, the book is right on the money for the audience it is targeted for - those people who lack programming experience. With plenty of detailed explanations, many of the 'dumb' questions answered that other more advanced books skim over, and the use of one large program that is worked on throughout the book, I would recommend Learn to Program with Java whole-heartedly to anyone at novice level struggling to come to grips with Java. The author's 'classroom novel' style of writing appeals to some and not to others (by the end of the book, I could have cheerfully strangled some of the students mentioned), but it is an effective technique regardless.
There were a couple of minor mistakes in the book that I received, but they should be fixed by now (and when I emailed Professor Smiley pointing them out, he not only replied the next day but was most courteous in thanking me for the feedback - two thumbs up in customer relations for the Prof!)
All in all, this book achieves what it sets out to do - help beginning programmers learn the basics of the Java language with confidence. After completing this book, you should then have the background to feel comfortable with the more advanced topics presented in other Java books.
Rating: 5
Summary: The difficult is made easy
Comment: Are you someone who wants to learn a programming language, Java in this case, but find your eyes crossing when you read books on the subject? If so, then stop here, because you have found something special. The author, Professor John Smiley is no ivory tower teacher or computer nerd... He is a professional educator who understands how difficult learning computer languages can be and is expert at making that knowledge accessible to the beginner. In addition, I have emailed questions to the author, who answered me promptly and meaningfully each time. Professor Smiley truly offers the complete package.
The book reads like a narrative of the author's experience in teaching a class on Java at Penn State University. The text follows the development of a small project (a student grades calculator) through the various stages of development -- each stage introducing new concepts and features.
By writing about a simulated classroom, the author answers your questions and gets you over the stumbling blocks, even as you form those questions and encounter those blocks. My experiences with other similar books is that these normal conceptual blocks can really slow my learning experience and turn me off from proceeding. This never happened with this book.
The examples are clear, illustrative, and easy to follow. The material assumes negligible programming experience in any language, and teaches good style and programming technique which are applicable in any language. The topics addressed are enough to get anyone started in Java, including: * how to write an compile Java source, * operators, * program flow, * classes (functions, methods, and properties, constructors, etc), * I/O, * good programming technique (including a very useful discussion of the System Development Lifecycle), * GUI, and more.
By the time I was finished with the text, I had, as advertised by the title, learned to program in Java, and was well prepared to take the next step in my education in this langauge.
Who should read this book? It's not for not advanced students or current Java programmers, but it is a great way to start your education on a difficult and useful subject. However, I hope Professor Smiley (and his publisher) will consider writing intermediate and advanced version of this book as well.
I also heartily recommend the author's books on learning to program with Visual Basic -- a subject for which he is already acclaimed.
Rating: 5
Summary: The best book I've seen for Java learning
Comment: I just want to thank John Smiley for writing the book "Learn to Program with Java"!
It's great, and a fantastic way of getting the subject over that doesn't leave you thinking "...but how did you make that leap??" or "...where did that come from?" and the classroom format I find really useful as it has a more 'real world' feel and the author has obviously heard all these questions from his students. I've not yet come up with one that hasn't already been discussed in the book!
I have 4 or 5 books or other 'learning aids' for Java and none have them have enabled me to really get to grips with, let alone get enthusiatic about, Java! (or any other programming language for that matter!!)
I'm not a programmer by profession (I'm a mechanical engineer) but I have long wanted to learn. I find the subject fascinating but until now have found it almost inpenetrable with too much jargon and 'geek-talk' in those books I have tried.
I haven't yet finished the book/course, but progress is good and I wanted to tell all potential purchasers that John Smiley managed to open a window that has so far remained firmly closed. I would be happy to recommend this book to anyone who asks, and will do so whenever I get the chance!!
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Title: Java Programming for the Absolute Beginner by Joseph Russell ISBN: 0761535225 Publisher: Premier Press Pub. Date: 01 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $29.99 |
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Title: Learn to Program with C++ by John Smiley ISBN: 0072225351 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media Pub. Date: 28 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $29.99 |
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Title: Java(tm)2: A Beginner's Guide by Herbert Schildt, Herbert Schildt ISBN: 0072225882 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media Pub. Date: 25 November, 2002 List Price(USD): $29.99 |
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Title: Learn to Program with C# by John Smiley ISBN: 0072222611 Publisher: Osborne/McGraw-Hill Pub. Date: 23 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $39.99 |
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Title: Head First Java by Bert Bates, Kathy Sierra ISBN: 0596004656 Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates Pub. Date: 01 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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