The Java Programming Language, 4th Edition 4th Edition

This is the most dependable book that all experienced Java developers MUST read to get a deep insight in to the intricacies of the Java programming language and master it's subtleties. The coverage is extensive and authoritative. You need to know Java at an intermediate to advanced level to enjoy the beauty of this book. The way the authors explain the topics tersely is extraordinary. This book does not have elaborate and repetitive explanations and 'real world' illustrations - generally each topic is explained with the help of simple pieces of code whose main purpose is to drive home an idea - you need to have a minimal prior level of understanding of Java to fully fathom and gain from the authors' brilliant explanations of the technicalities. I suggest that while you are going through each topic write your own small snippets of code, run and test them to verify your understanding of the topic - this gives you great confidence and long lasting understanding and is a sure shot way to master the details of the language in a retentive manner. This book has great reference value - you can come back to it time and again to get the most authoritative, clear and dependable answers to all your Java queries. A caveat - this text should not be used as a first book to learn Java from - it might only lead to boredom and frustration - this book is for mastering and fine tuning one's knowledge and skill in Java.

While not cast as such, this is an excellent source of information for one coming from any other object-oriented language (such as C# or Objective C). The authors are the ultimate source of knowledge about the product.I was struck by the quality of the examples that illustrate subtle points. Frequently, other writers create examples of the obvious use of an API or language feature, and leave the esoteric features as an exercise for the reader. It's also amazing how simple exercises at the beginning of the book reappear later as the base for suggested modifications that illustrate deeper parts of the API. This is SO real world --- many times you find yourself changing old, simple code to be more robust, secure, and modern.Expensive, but worth every penny. Kudos to the authors.

The content of this book is really nice, But the book I got is not new, and broken to some extent.

For the used version at under $15, I am extremely happy with the quality of the book, content-wise and physically. I would have payed well upwards of this price because of how comprehensive the book is. The first chapter alone introduces a lot of the basics, though it does seem that prior programming knowledge may definitely help understand the book better.

It is a good book for referencing the core Java Libraries. I only wished that it covered the swing and awt elements but it doesn't.

I bough this book for my school and I found it very easy to read despite the argument. I raccomend this book to everyone who wants learn Java

Great book, was taking an Algorithms course that used Java and this book was a lifesaver. Love the detailed explanations.

My only wish is that the authors publish a 5th edition soon.