For anyone desiring to wade into the waters of object-oriented programming using Java, this book is a good starting place. To get the first hint of what is inside just look at the cover. It is strewn with a series of techie-type jokes and office situations all wrapped in Java and Object terminology. You get the feeling that this will be fun and different.
The book takes the reader on a trip using graphic examples, analogies with common everyday things, and mock discussions between objects with differing points of view such as “An instance variable takes cheap shots at a static variable”. The book is a refreshing new approach to teaching technical material by using graphic presentation and programming examples that stimulate your imagination and your memory. Chapter-by-chapter the book presents new concepts accompanied by multiple examples and exercises. In one instance a wannabe Java programmer expresses her frustration at not understanding a particular concept. The book then tries another approach and presents the same material using a different illustration to make the point, which works well because it provides multiple opportunities for the reader to get the idea.
For anyone with some programming experience this is a rare find. Expect to quickly understand some basic Java concepts and to be writing a Java program in the first chapter. Each successive chapter expands on the previous chapter increasing the reader’s knowledge along the way.
Because this type of learning is fun it truly does provide a new type of learning environment. It serves not only as introduction to object orientation and Java but it is also a good book to keep around as an excellent technical reference. The book contains seventeen (17) chapters and two (2) appendices. The appendices contain the top ten lists of “other” things that are important for Java programmers but did not make it into the book and a simple client/server java application.
In summary, this book is a huge success in explaining Java programming concepts and at the same time avoiding the normal technical “information overload”.
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