Java books for n00b

[Sathyaish]

All you Java mavens out there, I want to indulge. What book would you
recommend as the best, or one of the best, for someone familiar with
C/C++/VB6/VB.NET/C#, for learning Java?

I did some VJ++ in 1999 and worked on the then newly released JDK v1.2,
so I am already familiar with the basic framework.

And, more importantly, where's the whole gang, where's the happening
place for Java folks, like it is:

microsoft.public.dotnet.*
Channel 9
blogs.msdn.com/* (various .NET teams blogs)
VB Forums
Extreme VB
Code Guru
JoS/?dotnet

for .NET. Where's the party going on for Java stuff?


PS: Tell me only the best ones, like the K&R for C, the Mythical Man
Month for project management, GoF for Design Patterns, Jeff Richter's
Applied MS Framework Programming for .NET etc. Please tell me those
type of books for the beginner who has had exposure to other languages.
Some book that doesn't start with "what a for loop is", but relates
language concepts accross different languages so that one can compare
and limn the strengths and limitations of Java. Like, "Java does not
have a pre-processor" and stuff like that would be more helpful.

 

[TechBookReport]

All you Java mavens out there, I want to indulge. What book would you
recommend as the best, or one of the best, for someone familiar with
C/C++/VB6/VB.NET/C#, for learning Java?

I did some VJ++ in 1999 and worked on the then newly released JDK v1.2,
so I am already familiar with the basic framework.

And, more importantly, where's the whole gang, where's the happening
place for Java folks, like it is:

microsoft.public.dotnet.*
Channel 9
blogs.msdn.com/* (various .NET teams blogs)
VB Forums
Extreme VB
Code Guru
JoS/?dotnet

for .NET. Where's the party going on for Java stuff?


PS: Tell me only the best ones, like the K&R for C, the Mythical Man
Month for project management, GoF for Design Patterns, Jeff Richter's
Applied MS Framework Programming for .NET etc. Please tell me those
type of books for the beginner who has had exposure to other languages.
Some book that doesn't start with "what a for loop is", but relates
language concepts accross different languages so that one can compare
and limn the strengths and limitations of Java. Like, "Java does not
have a pre-processor" and stuff like that would be more helpful.

Take a wander over to TechBookReport's Java page
(http://www.techbookreport.com/JavaIndex.html) to get the run down of
the best books. From what you describe I'd say that Bruce Eckel's
Thinking In Java is definitely one to put at the top of your list. Also
Just Java 2 is also one worth looking at.

As for places to hang out:

Artima,
The ServerSide
Java Today
Sun Developer Network

HTH

 

[Sathyaish]

Hey! Thanks a lot, TechbookReport. I've been to your site. I've known
it for long for the Joe Bloggs series it hosts. Isn't that your site
that hosts -- "Who's Joe Bloggs?". I love that series.

Thanks for the information, too.

 

[TechBookReport]

Hey! Thanks a lot, TechbookReport. I've been to your site. I've known
it for long for the Joe Bloggs series it hosts. Isn't that your site
that hosts -- "Who's Joe Bloggs?". I love that series.

Thanks for the information, too.

Yep, TechBookReport is the home of 'Meet Joe Bloggs' - but it's also a
book and software review site with lots of Java content.

 

[Ben]

Yep, TechBookReport is the home of 'Meet Joe Bloggs' - but it's also a
book and software review site with lots of Java content.

You can also try the O'Reilly edition books: Learning JAVA is the one I
would start with. Then they also have in depth books on specific topics
in JAVA such as Threads, SWING etc... The author does a good job
comparing JAVA to other languages, especially to C++.

Ben