Which book to choose

[Dhinesh babu]

Hi ,

I am a beginner to Java.
Which book is better for learning the basics ?

Thanks,
Dhinesh

[Campbell Ritchie]

Look here. There are lots of books available. Consider Head First Java™ by Sierra and Bates. Search this forum, because lots of people ask that question.

[Campbell Ritchie]

I earlier wrote:. . . Consider Head First Java™ by Sierra and Bates. . . .

Be sure to get the 2nd edition. You can probably find it second-hand for a very reasonable price.

[Justin Filmer]

I agree. Head First Java 2nd Edition is a fantastic choice!

[apchar boiir]

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]

By Core Java, do you mean Horstmann and Cornell? Excellent books, but I am not sure they are suitable for raw beginners.

[Scott Lott]

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?