Walter Savitch
1 DO NOT GET THIS BOOK
This book is a complete waste of money. First, the software installation instructions are terrible for a beginner programmer. The flow of the book jumps around like 2 kangaroos during mating season. It starts by saying that this book is for the beginner then jumps right into the first program then back to basics. The author doesn't explain terms like "class" and "method" to a level that the simple person can understand. Those who say this is a good book obviously didn't read it. Don't buy this book just get a good instructor who has several years of experience. Note the help websites that are in the front of the book DON'T EXIST.
2 Bad choice for people without programming experience
It would be a good book if it went right to the point. But it goes over and over again through the same ideas, making it very confusing. They give you the first example and then they revise it over an over again, adding more code and saying that the first example is not good.
"We will say a bit more about the class Container later in this chapter" p. 730
Another example (in the same page!):
"An invocation of the method add can be written in the simplier form contentPane.add(label); instead of the slightly more complex (and slightly less efficient) expression getContentPane().add(label);" -which they give several pages before.
Why don't they give you the good one from the very beginning, so you don't need to re-learn and erase your notes from the chapter making the learning process super slow?
I also find it unorganized and boring. I think programming could be tought in a more interesting way, like in the book Head First Java, 2nd Edition. It is an interesting, fun and great book to learn Java. It is too bad that the professor's choice was Savitch, instead.
3 Liked it - But did not adopt it because of 'SavitchIn'
I really liked the book. Savitch explains how to program in plain english - and he is easy to read. The only fault in the book (and the reason I did not adopt it in my Java courses is that he used 'SavitchIn'( a nice class he made for user input ) instead of what the student needs to learn.
Again - this is a REALLY GOOD JAVA BOOK. But he really needs to lose the 'SavitchIn' class. (Well, at least use it as an ALTERNATE way to get user input.) What a shame. And I really like his chapters on Swing.
4 Good Java learning book
The way he writes this book makes it seem as if he's right there talking to you - using words you understand. The explanations are crystal clear.
Savitch is to Java as Malik is to C++. Both make it easy to learn - and after all, that's what I buy a book for - to learn.
Only drawback is the high price, but I suggest you bite the bullet so you won't have buyer's remorse. Go ahead and get the better book. (Also get the Schaums Outline.)
5 Easy to understand.
The book is extremely easy to understand and is excellent for beginners. More experienced programmers may find that the explanations are repetitive or too long. However, as a beginning programming book it is excellent.
6 Lousy Use of own created classes and tons of mistakes!!
I am currently a programming major and have both C and C++ knowledge. Recently I just finished a Java class that used this book. This book is very poorly designed, the book is very jumbled and in the middle of explanations puts two pages worth of code mid-line into a sentence. It is also visually hard to look at, it has glossy pages and faint blue ink in some areas. The biggest complaint is that it uses what is called SavitchIn Class to do many portions of it's examples which will be useless in the real world. For example when you create a GUI the author would like you to use his WindowDestroyer Class instead of the setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE) that is a method within the JFrame. Therefore, this book is more of a crutch to beginners. Their are tons of errors too! For example there are several loops that the books show as valid code and if you decide to use them you will end up in an infinate loop causing your program to be stuck. I would recommend either Thinking in Java by Bruce Eckel, almost any Deitel & Deitel book, or even the Sam's teach yourself Java in 21 days books over this. There were 25 fellow students in my class and less then a handful had much to say about this book that was positive. PS I was the tutor for this class as well, therefore, I would say to stay away from this book and less you want to be cripled by the authors lack of faith in your ability to make it in the real world.
7 I'm One of Many Unsatisfied Students
My beginning Java class is using this book as its textbook, and I sincerely wish my college had chosen a different book (and many of my fellow students feel the same). True, I've learned quite a bit, but not without much unecessary frustration. Simpler topics are over-explained, while more important concepts seem to be just skimmed over (for instance, what exactly IS an instance variable? I had to refer to other texts to find out, because there is no definition in this one, and no glossary, either). One must refer back and forth, over and over, to get an understanding, and the example programs are not fully explained. This book might be okay as a supplement to other Java texts, but I can't recommend it as the only book for those new to Java programming.
8 The book is excellent!!!
I have found many kinds of java books, but not many books are really suited for "a beginner", but now i have found this book
for a beginner to study. i am so happy.
9 A fat textbook plumped up with unnecessary boxes & diagrams
Yuck. With the low level of the material, the author could have covered it in half the time. Instead, you get tons of extra pages where the text gets lazy and explains with pictures something that ought to have been told in words, for conceptual clarity. The programming examples aren't that helpful, either. Get the book "Learning Java" published by O'Reilly, if you're actually interested in learning the language. If you have to buy this as a textbook, keep it in good shape so you can turn around and resell it on Amazon.
10 The way is should be
This book is an example of how such a book should be written. It is nothing short of perfect for what it seeks to be: an introductory book in programming java. It assumes you know very little and leads from there through each topic in a manner that is clear, concise, intelligent, and determined. This book wants you to get the points it is trying to make, not dazzle you with cleverness (simpliity is the hallmark of genuis, not convoluted verbage that most writers in this field seem to wallow in: note to editors...stop the self indulgence of these useless hacks!). Mr Savitch is an excellent writer and obviously an educator of some skill. Personally it reads like he is talking to you personally and explaining each point to you in a pleasant, helpful manner.
This books has 'loads' of examples and programs and provides code segment for points so you don't have to keep switching back or if you do, it gives you the exact location of the code so you don't have to hunt for it. No, this is awell conceived and thoroughly well realized book for the beginning Java programmer. Thoroughly recommended and thumbs up! This is the book to buy if you want to start learning Java, well, facts and effectively. mr Savitch must be justifiably proud to have given us such a work. Buy it, read it, learn from it and nod you head at the end and say to yourself...'that was money well spent'...
11 Mediocre at best.
I found this book to be mediocre. I am one of the intended readers of the book with no experience in programming. Granted that this book is intended for a textbook of an introductory computer science class, it still has room for improvement in terms of getting the reader to start programming from the get-go, and many other.
First of all, this book is hard to follow. This does not mean that what is written is hard to understand (in fact, the author uses an easy-to-understand language), but poor explanation of key concepts (cocepts such as "objects" and "classes" are thrown at the reader with poor explanantion for the first time, then later verbosely explained. I was really bothered by this way of explanation), repetition of features explaned in a few pages ago, sometimes mind-boggingly detialed explanation of not-so-used features together make this a mediocre introductory book (do I need to add the poor editing of grammatical errors?). Combined with these, there are many sections divided from the main body of discussion, like Java Tips and Gotcha, which are intended to highlight key comcepts and pitfalls, but nonetheless contribute to the disruption of the flow of the main discussion (this surprisingly makes it hard to refer back to the book for some information buried somewhere in the main body, as beginners often do). All in all, the style of writing and the poorly thought-out design of explanation (poorly placed exmaple programs in the middle of discussion, although the author tries to amend this by repeating parts of the exmaple programs a lot) does not make this book stand out in millions of computer books reaching out for beginners.
In conclusion, this book is not different from many other computer books. Considering the price (which is NOT justifiable by the quality of the book and its intended usage as a college textbook), you are better off looking for other cheaper Java books that at least achieve what this book does.
For those who have read this book: In the first few chapters the author gives many exemples of programs manupilating just numbers. Granted that beginners should start something small and that manupilating numbers might serve fine in order to introduce ways of programming, I thought I was learning how to build a calculator. This part is hardly inspiring for the reader...unless the reader wants to build a calculator. This is an introductory college textbook. The author bears the burden of inspiring the reader about the subject, computer science in this case, and the calculator examples certainly do not do for many people.
12 Introductory Java Programming at its best
I was impressed by the quality of this book. In fact I've done most of my Java learning from this book thus far, because the book is written very clearly and well. Walter Savitch repeats a lot of things, but I found this to be a helpful aspect of the book rather than a negative aspect. If you are already a Java programmer you won't want this book. This book is for introductory Java programmers only. Anyone interested in learning basic programming skills would do well to read this book.
By absorbing the material in this book you will master the basic concepts of Java programming. You will also learn some fun things, such as basic Thread and I/O programming techniques with Java. The end of the book discusses more 'advanced' topics, such as drawing in Java, graphic user interfaces (GUI), and applets. I find the chapter on applets to be a bit lacking to be quite honest - but it is written well despite its brevity.
If you are looking for a book on Applet programming I recommend specifically "Sam's Teach Yourself Java 2 in 24 hours" which is a great reading book (yes, its programming) - the author has a great sense of humor and discusses applets in 4 hours +.
sage
13 Great Work by Dr. Savitch
People will always give different perspectives on the same book, which is okay. Dr. Savitch -- I thought he is a PhD -- Dr. Savitch's book is great for my mode of self-study. Savitch is a master! He repeats concepts, as others have said, but this is by design. He knows better, he knows that concepts are more likely to be kept in this manner.
Savitch's book is eminently suited for guys doing self-study and wanting to make their way into Java Programming. I have got value for my money, I now believe.
Good Luck!
14 Simple but repetative
This book is easy to read and understand, but there is a catch. And here it is, he keeps going on and on. A concept that could have been easily covered within a few pages he turns into a chapter. So here is your choice, if you like simplicty combined with repetition this is the book for you. Otherwise find another book.
15 Great intro to Java and computer science
I've read a lot of tech books and this one is great. Really easy to follow examples which are well explained.
16 Best Intro to CS and Java Book out there
i have gone through about 5 books on java but this book along with thinking in java are top shelf. if you are just starting out then savitch's book is a better choice than thinking in java, which assumes prior programming xprience and knowledge. the only complaint against savitch's book is not having a solution to the programming excercises, but that should not prevent you from getting this book. i think it works better because it forces you to solve for the solution.
17 Great Java intro for non-programmers
This book is excellent for people who have no background in either computer science or programming. It's well-written (which is rare for technical books) and provides examples that are straight-forward and practical. The test questions after each section truly test your knowledge of key concepts, and the programming exercises are challenging. (I would probably purchase the latest version of this book, and not this older version.)
I like that Savitch introduces new concepts by developing that concept over several versions of the same program. So, you can see how he got from A to Z. He also deconstructs the code for you bit by bit, so that you gain a real understanding of what each Java statement means. The GOTCHA sections provide tips that help with your code-writing, and he has thoughtfully included sections that highlight the specific syntaxes and uses of each concept.
Savitch has put together an amazing book--he's obviously spent a lot of time crafting his presentation. I was initially afraid of trying to learn Java on my own, but this book has given me a solid foundation. I hope he puts together an Intermediate/Advanced Java book!
18 to each his own...
I've been programming for more than 20 years, but wanted to learn some of the newer languages. I am currently taking a class and this is the text. If I were reading this book on my own and not as part of a class, I would toss it and try another book. I find the author's writing style difficult to stay with. I can only tolerate 4 or 5 pages before leaving the book, only to come back later for a few more pages. I sometimes have to read a section 2, 3 or 4 times in order to understand what the author is trying to communicate. (Even the class instructor does not like the book!)
Having started my working life as a secretary, the number of English language errors (using "their" instead of "there", mixing singular and plural ["...when you use a mutator methods, the ..."]) just drives me crazy. Of the many computer books I've read in the last 3 years, this is the worst with regard to language errors. I don't expect perfection, but couldn't someone have done a better editing job?
19 Great book for beginning Java Programmers!
This is an excellent book for beginning Java programmers. The writing is clear and consise and the program examples throughout each chapter succintly illustrate the point being discussed. He also gives exercises in each chapter with answers and problems at the end of the chapter without the answers. I highly recommend that you do the exercises and problems to complete ones understanding of the material.
20 Well worth going through
I haven't gone through very many Java books to compare this to, but I can highly recommend this book. For the beginner, it explains things very well, breaking down concepts into bite size pieces, and reinforcing them later. The exercises also help to reinforce and really learn what the author presented. Everything is very clearly explained and very well written, and makes learning Java manageable instead of intimidating. I don't know if there are better books out there, but this one should definately help you get the ball rolling and give you a strong foundation to go further.
21 Flawed
The good just outweighs the bad with this book, but it has some excruciating flaws that really spoil it. Chief among these is the appalling failure to provide solutions to the exercises. This is marketed as a college text, but plenty of school texts include the answers without undermining the integrity of the material being taught. Savitch really has dropped the ball in supporting the non academic section of his readership. I can't think of a single reason to justify the inflated price of this book either. I bought the earlier version of the book that came with the dreadful non working Code Warrior CD which furthered marred my experience trying to learn Java. Overall, the teaching style is okay and this is what elevates it above the plethora of badly written Java books out there. Sad to say that mere adequacy does this in an age of bad writing/teaching.
22 Good, but scatterd
Being new to computer programming, I have struggled to find the best first book for beginners. The main thing that I find frustrating is when an author uses an entire class as an example and then does not go through, line for line, and explains what is going on. Savitch succeeds only partially here, and I found that he would explain something that he did four, five six pages earlier, which can be difficult to follow if one is not yet comfortable with the language and the standard techniques programmers employ. This is, however, an exellent reference book, and even though I do not recommend it as a first book in programming, it is worth hanging on to. It is also a college textbook, which I didn't know until the book arrived. This means that there are NO solutions for the exercises, and the author cannot provide the reader with any. This can be discouraging for the newbie that wants to do the work and then find out if they are even close to a correct answer. One last point: the author takes the stance that it can be a "learning experience" to develop methods for certain tasks, when methods for these tasks are already part of the Java library. It doesn't make any sense to me to tell the beginner to re-invent the wheel before learning how to drive the car.
23 Extremely good!
This is the best book I can find to begin learning Java. The detailed explanations and comfortable layout and design of the book make it the best book for beginners. You can easily understand all the points that the author wants to say. The accompanied CD containing Borland JBuilder and TextPad has no expiration.
This book by Walter Savitch is so well-organised and helps me a lot through the systematic approach. Although you may often need to refer back several pages for the examples, it's worthwhile to do so, because the examples are quite good. Besides, it covers most of the syllabus of the Java Examination except the topics of Thread and Networking. After finishing this book, I think I can read other advanced books or go into special topics like JSP/Servlets/JavaBeans/Jini.
I bought the Core Java 2 Vol 1 and think that is about fundamentals as the title says. But that's not for the beginners to read, even they have learned VB or C++ before. Previously that was the bestseller in Amazon and I trust it's worth to buy, but I regret!
I have also read some other beginner books. Java 2 How to Java is not so easy to read if no programming experience and too heavy! Java 2 From Scratch is quite difficult to read and not suitable for beginners, but teaches you write a real life application! The Complete Idiot's Guide to Java 2 has too few examples and topics! Idiot may think it's not worthy. Java 2: A Beginner's Guide explains the concepts with just several words only. How can the beginners use this guide?
Sometimes the bestseller/official books may not be suitable for you and try to read some other books which can meet your own needs and learning approach.
24 Difficult to follow
I bought this book because I wanted to help my son who is taking a java course which uses the Savitch book as the main text. I was also impresssed by the high marks given the book by other reviewers.
I must say that thus far I am somewhat disappointed. The presentation of the material does not flow well making it tedious to digest the points made by the author. An additional problem is the text which is small and on glossy paper making it difficult to read under artificial light.
I agree with others that the author is thorough. However, one has to go back and forth between pages to grasp the full meaning of an explanation or example.
The writing style is typical of many academic textbooks in the technical and business fields; ponderous, laden with trivalities and dry.
There are books on Java that are much more accessible. I have been reading "Beginning Java Objects" by jacquie Barker (Wrox). This IMHO is an excellent book that reflects the author's concern for the student reader.
Despite my criticisms, I intend to plow on to the end of Savitch because my son needs me to do so. Also,I sense he has something important to say on Java, but getting to it requires a lot of unecessary work.
25 Java: An Introduction to Computer Science & Programming
An excellent book. I haven't programmed for years, and have never done Object Oriented Programming. This book explains things quite clearly for the non-programmer.
26 Superb Book with Minor Flaws
The explanations in this book are exceptionally clear and the book is well laid out. The author has done a tremendous amount of work in creating sample programs and very good exercises. The exercises are very close to real life and I have not seen any other textbook that is really close to the quality of exercises in this book. The Preface, the Dependency Chart (xiv), is superb and provides a roadmap that can be followed.
The book does have some minor problems. The index is not extensive and basic words such as: get and void are not in the index under their own headings but are sometimes there as subheadings under another heading. For example, void is under the subheading: method. This makes it difficult to search under the word void unless you realize you've got to search under method then void. I checked some other books and they did not have this problem.
Some more examples would be helpful. For example, the get() method is very important and, although he discusses it extensively, he does not give an example using it to call from an encapsulated class. It can, however, be figured out. Also, some of the examples are too simplistic and more complex examples would be helpful so that it can be used as a model when solving problems; an example would be: a combination of the for, while, if commands.
The book omits some important but minor points that would be helpful to someone learning the program. Savitch creates an encapsulated class (SpeciesFirstTry) that can be not be run except from the SpeciesFirstTryDemo, the calling program. To someone learning these concepts it is not clear. Another minor point is that, as far as I can tell, Savitch does not list the Paths needed to run Java 2.
The book has been very carefully edited so I only found one minor flaw, Pg. 207, exercise 7 should state: "Modify problem 9" rather than "Modify problem 7." The sample programs all run and are excellently written. Also, I like the program SavitchIn a utility program that is used throughout the book.
The exercise are not easy and some answers to these exercises would be helpful. Even if the full answers are not given, hints would be appreciated. Another useful addition to this book would be a two to four page "synopsis" of the major commands.
To reiterate, the key strengths of Savitch's book are: clear explanations, excellent programming exercises that are relevant to business, and consistent and superb craftsmanship in the writing style and layout of the book. The minor and nitpicking items that I mentioned previously are very minor and can easily be overcome. I strongly recommend this book!!
27 How to make Java Boring
A programming book, in my view, ought to be fun and intuitive. It should get the reader into writing programs as rapidly as possible, teach him enough of the basics so he can do it, and then fill in the fine points. It should be the sort of book that an interested reader will buy, read and use--without being compelled to read it by course assignments.
By that standard, this book is a failure. It is slow, detailed, ponderous. The author spends a page and a half of chapter 4 explaining the "this" parameter, only to conclude that "programmers seldom use the this parameter, but there are some situations where it is needed." The implicit assumption is that the reader first spends six hundred and some pages memorizing everything he will ever need to know about Java, and only then does anything with it.
The book comes with a CD containing both sample programs and programming tools; I assume that is part of what is supposed to justify its high price. I cannot speak to the Windows versions of the tools, but the Macintosh version is entirely unsatisfactory. It consists of a crippled version of Code Warrior--so crippled that if you try to use it to write a program from scratch, it tells you that that option has been disabled.
So far as I could tell, the only way of writing a program is to start with one of the sample programs and modify that--and neither the CD nor the book will tell you how to do so. Neither the CD nor the book gives you any clear explanation of how to use the tools you are supposed to be using to program. If the author has ever programmed with Code Warrior, I could find no evidence of it by the time I got to chapter four, which is as far as I have gotten.
Somewhere there must be a good book for teaching yourself Java, but this isn't it.
28 Maybe the Best Introduction to Computer Programming
If you have never programmed before this is the book for you. Java is probably the easiest Object-Oriented language to learn and this is the easiest book to learn Java from. The writing is concise and unbelievably clear; and 8 year-old could learn Java from Savitch. Pick up this book and download JDK from Sun for free and you'll be programming in no time.
Example: One of the most annoying things (at least at first) about Java is its I/O System. And obviously to run the simplest program you need user input. However Savitch solves this issue by having a class, SavitchIn, that handles user input pretty well. Thus beginners can jump right in and start programming without having to worry about parsing command line arguments or using StringTokenizer.
All this having been said, this book is far from comprehensive and you'll soon outgrow it. But as a computer science grad student, I can say that undergraduates with no previous programming experience love Savitch's book, and you will too. You might also want to pick up "Java in a Nutshell," the best Java reference book -- for the money.
29 Not as good as I had hoped
I'm somewhat disappointed after reading the glowing customer reviews. The author repeats the trivial and fails to explain some of the basics. There is no single summary of command syntax, and the index is insufficient. Overall one can learn Java with this book, but probably do better with another.
30 Excellent ++
This is truly an excellent book on Java and OOP, even if you are new to computer programming. Each topic is explained very thoroughly and the programming examples are easy to understand. The book is very well organized. Most books on Java that I've encountered are so obtuse that, even if you're familiar with programming, you'll drown in the example programs alone. It's nice to know that there's someone out there that not only understands Java and OOP but also can explain it clearly. Savitch is the man!
31 The best book on the market
I am a programmer, experienced in C, C++, and Java. I tried a couple of books for Java. Unfortunately, they all assumed too much from the reader. Most of the books I read assumed the reader was experienced in Object Oriented Programming. I learned C++ from Professor Savitch's "Problem Solving with C++" I should have turned to this book first(it would have saved me a lot of money). The other books I sometimes use as an alternate reference, but this is the primary book I learned Java from and this is the book I take to work(for quick reference). The readability of this book is unique to programming books. I highly recommend this book to anyone starting Java. Although it does come with CodeWarrior Lite, Sun's Java compiler is free online at java.sun.com
32 Damn near perfect
This book sets the standard. I have yet to find another computer book that comes close. I am half way through the book. I did look at Sun's site which I could not really follow since it did not have that theory and example balance. Too much of what you do not yet know is presented. I have spent about 30 hours at Amazon reading reviews and the another 30 hours in book stores searching for the best books in the Microsoft world (VB, MTS, ASP) and JavaScript books. Even with the best books (5 star) my rate of learning has always felt slow. Either I don't really know what they are talking about or they take forever to make a point and there are not enough examples. I pick this book on Java up and my rate of learning is fast. It is virtually perfect, and here is why: 1/ The order in which you can read the book is explicitly stated. 2/ References beyond the stated scope of the book are held to a minimum. 3/ Points are stated simply so you can learn from a knowledge level significantly lower than the authors. 4/ Refer to previous chapters specifically by page reference and only when necessary. 5/ The material is in a logical order. 6/ A consistent level of detail is used. 7/ Material is direct and succinct, so you need not `skim'. 8/ Examples: (i) are well written with good coding practices and no errors. (ii) are connected to other examples to help illustrate a point. (iii) are the optimum size. Usually they are too long. (iv) do not contain irrelevant code but enough to allow comprehension. (v) there is a good ratio of theory to examples. (vi) options are discussed. "This method is better than that method..." 9/ A web site for the book exists which gives corrections and supplemental material. 10/ A message board is created for the book so readers can help each other. (He did not do this but I think it is a good idea.) 11/ Tells you where to go from here. (I have to ask Savitch when I'm done.) I may get Ivor Horton's book and The Java Programming Language, Third Edition
33 Best Book On Java Out There!
This book is simply awesome! After trying to read several other Java books, and a couple of online tutorials, I was just confused. Until I came across this book. WOW! I actually know Java now! That's saying something people! If you need to know Java, and you have no programming experience... get THIS book. It's all you'll need.
P.S. I might mention, Savitch also quickly responded to a couple of emails I sent him (his addy's in the book) and answered my questions that same day. Now that's service!
34 At a loss for words
I give this book the highest praise I can think of --> I can't think of anything negative to say about it. Even the tiny details are "right," like the texture of the cover in one's hands, the high quality of the paper that was used, and the way it lies flat when opened. The author's style tells me he is a natural-born teacher. This is not a 1000-page tome, like so many of the "Learn Java Instantly" books on the market. Simply a pleasure to read and use.
35 Clear and to the point!
It's hard to come out with words to describe this book. I was recomended this book by a friend and it was great. Very clear! I think this book should be the standard to which we should compare all other books. Savitch has done an awesome job. If you want to learn Java then you should learn it from the master if you want to one day be a master. If so, this is your book!
36 Not worth the price with unusable CodeWarrior
The copy of CodeWarrior Lite that comes with the book can no longer be installed, nor is it suppored by Metrowerks anymore. Instead, they suggest purchasing a copy of the Discover Programming Edition of CodeWarrior for [more money] to replace it. To me, it seems highly deceptive, if not illegal, for the publisher advertise that the book comes with CodeWarrior and to continue to include the price of the software license in the cost of the book. The retail price of the book should be lowered, or buyers should be offered a working copy of CodeWarrior at no charge, or the publisher should be required to notify potential buyers that the software is no longer usable.
37 Great starting point for Java programming
I think this is a great book. Unlike other beginners' books, this one really conveys solidly the notions and style of working with Java. There are a few editorial errors and a few slightly vague issues with the book, but these are very minor. Overall, you cannot go wrong with this book as your first step into Java.
38 To the point,concise and "the book" for beginners
*Does not assume you know C++, VB etc. *Very well written and to the point. *Examples that are very well explained. It never gives examples that has things "to be explained in later chapters" as many of the books do. *Important things put in box for you so that you need not mark them. *And last but not the least,this book at no point gets boring
39 Well-written for the newbie and a good reference for the pro
I like Savitch's book. It's one of the few I've seen that doesn't assume you already know C or C++. A lot of the intro to CS stuff is review for me, but Savitch writes well so it's not boring. And I really give Savitch credit for writing that doesn't "talk down" to the reader (like an adult trying to explain something to a child). His examples include X-Files and Star Trek references, welcome changes from what I was used to in other books. (There are two email lists and a web site for the book, but I have not seen any traffic on either list.)
Savitch's book is also well-designed for use as a reference for those who know Java already.
40 Leaves Nothing Out & Explains Perfectly, A First In CS Books
This book makes only one assumption and that is you know nothing about computer science or programming and this my friends is a good thing for all beginners. You will learn things in this book your Intro To CS101 in high school and college probably missed. The casual yet concise to the point language used in this power packed book makes understanding object oriented java programming a breeze to learn. This book can also serve the intermediate level programmer and be retained as a great reference. Out of all the books I've read on various kinds of computer languages including 4 others on java, I really didn't beleive books like this could be wrote without forgetting to bridge at least some concepts together properly. Its value as a book has definitely exceeded its expense. If you want or have to learn java, this is the book. period!
41 Great book on Java for beginners
This book is really great introduction to Java and also to programming. I recommend it to everyone beginning with programming in Java and who does not have any previous knowledge of programming. You really won't regret the money you will invest in this book.
42 the only way to go
My learning style is visual, aka concrete (please no jokes about the composition of my skull), and with most books I frequently have trouble finding something I saw earlier that I now need to recall. The format of this book is outstanding and I am very satisfied. The author has done a great job of taking a student from raw beginner to feeling pretty darn good about programming concepts. And the big bonus is that you learn a very useful Internet oriented language at the same time.
43 Great introduction to Java and object oriented programming
I have just finnished an intoductory Java course at the local JC which used this particular book. This book would work great for someone learning Java on their own, and is even better when used in a course.
44 excellent book for programming beginners
Anyone who is brand spank'n new to programming I strongly recommend this book. This is a perfect book for someone who wants to teach themselves outside of a class. Savitch takes the time to explain the same concept many times. This is one of the most pleasurable technical textbooks I have ever read. I also strongly recommend this book to instructors who don't have industry experience and/or are to lazy or apathetic to prepare for class.
45 Simply an amazing book for the novice programmer
Simply an amazing book. For the novice programmer, Walter Savitch magically transforms what is seemingly gibberish into concise descriptions. Still do not believe me! Read the chapter on multidimensional arrays, and I know your review will give this book 5 stars.
46 Excellent book for first-time learners of Java
Savitch's book is excellent for the first time learner of programming. As a first year student at UC San Diego, I had no programming experience. And although for my CSE class, the instructor taught most of the programming, this book proved extremely helpful on better understanding concepts. The book teaches in a straight-forward easy to understand way. I plan to buy his C++ book, as the Bjarne Stroustrup "C++ Programming Language" book is proving difficult to understand. Savitch's Java book is a must for first time learners. Plain, simple english.
47 Former student recommends book.
A few months ago(maybe more) I completed a Java course taught by Savitch at UCSD. He taught from a text that he was working on--- soon to be published. I believe that the book you see here at Amazon.com is the final version of the text that he was working on at UCSD.
When I was in his class, I remember wishing that the text was published so that I didn't have to rely on a cheaply bound, xeroxed printout. I don't have a copy of it anymore because I wore it out. It is a very good book for the novice Java programmer. Hundreds of students at UCSD have beta tested it.
48 Excellent reference and beginner's learning guide
This is a very nicely written book. Savitch presents material in a simplistic and user friendly manner that makes learning easy and fun. Many books don't explain things clearly or expect you to already know terms and concepts in Java while serving as a beginner's manual. Savitch not only makes thorough explanations and examples, but reinforces them with complete definitions and practice problems. This is the best book I've seen. I highly recommend this book to the beginning Java programmer.
