apchar boiir wrote:Start with the Java Tutorial. It's good, free, & downloadable from oracle. After that, I'm partial to the Core Java I & II books. They're very comprehensive. Their only downside is that the print in the latest versions is so small you need to read it with a magnifying glass. 
Campbell Ritchie wrote:By Core Java, do you mean Horstmann and Cornell? Excellent books, but I am not sure they are suitable for raw beginners.
Instead of starting a new
thread, I'll ask you guys since you are mentioning them. I am thinking of getting back into Java after a long hiatus. My only experience with it is in an educational background (4-year degree in CS). I also used C/C++ and have dabbled in PHP some on my own, but by and large all my work was in Java during school. It's been about eight years since I have done any programming. I did very well with Java at the time, closer to top of the class than bottom.
I looked at Head First in a book store today, and I have to admit I don't really like the tone/style of the book, but I hear it has great info so I'm willing to read through it. I prefer more concise and hand's on books. With this in mind, do you think I'd be better starting from the bottom (Head First) or would I be in the range of the Core Java books?
