Thinking in Java Bruce Eckel

[Wensley Brands]

Hello guys,

I have a question, i heard many great things about the "Thinkin in Java" series by Bruce Eckel. They say it really makes you think like a programmer and make Java click for you.

I currently found the 4th edition of this book on PDF for free. There is also a follow up called "On Java 8" also writtin by Bruce Eckel.

My question about these 2 books is, can i still read the old book "Thinking in Java 2006" or is it to outdated ?

The 2017 version "On Java 8" is 40-50 euro's but im willing to spend that money if it's really that good.

Thanks in advance for reading the post.

[Junilu Lacar]

I like Bruce Eckel's books. I have a couple of them that I bought when I was just starting out with Java. I also have his On Java 8 book which, to be perfectly honest, I haven't cracked open in a while now. I already had years of experience in other programming languages before I started Java, so I was fine reading them but I don't know how well-suited they are for rank beginners. The "On Java 8" book, for example, starts out with a discussion of objects and object-oriented programming concepts like polymorphism, inheritance, and composition. That's kind of heavy even for experienced programmers and it's hardly a gentle introduction to programming for folks who have never programmed before.

And if you're a beginner, Eckel's older books will still be mostly relevant even if you're using a newer version of Java. As a beginner, it's going to be a while (maybe a few months to a couple of years) before you'll ever need to worry about some of the newer features of the language. Many if not most professional developers don't even find many opportunities to use features like lambdas and streams in their daily work.

If you really want to learn how to think like a programmer, take a look at Think Like a Programmer by V. Anton Spraul. I think it's a wonderful book that can give you a foundational framework for approaching programming problems. There's one that uses C++ for the examples and I believe there's another version that uses Python, which might make it easier for you to translate over to Java. With the foundational knowledge you can get from Spraul's book, I think tackling Eckel's book will be less daunting.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Wensley Brands wrote:. . . can i still read the old book "Thinking in Java 2006" or is it to outdated ?

Yes, that book is good.

The 2017 version "On Java 8" is 40-50 euro's but im willing to spend that money if it's really that good.

I have a copy of the 2006 edition but not the later edition. I remember having a very quick look at it as a pdf but I don't remember thinking it was any good, I am afraid.
I suggest you consider:-

Urma Fusco and Mycroft: Java 8 in Action/Modern Java in Action (Manning 2014). Different editions of that book have different names.

Cay S. Horstmann: Core Java SE 9 for the Impatient (2/e Addison-Wesley 2018)

I have copies (paper or pdf) of both and I think they are good. Watch the Manning and other websites; they often have special offers and you may be able to buy books at half‑price. But the special offers may only last one day.

Adding discussion to our books forum.