The Bottom Line “An excellent introduction
to the Java language that doesn’t assume the reader is an
experienced C/C++ programmer.”
The Review
[Editor’s note: OK, let’s get the obvious question out of
the way, instead of letting it fester: Why am I reviewing a Java
book on a Linux site, and not just any Java book, but one that
barely mentions Linux? Isn’t Java the prime example of An Evil
Thing from an Evil Company That Doesn’t Get It? (No, not Microsoft,
which has just given in to Sun on the Java law suit, but the other
Evil Company so many Linuxites love to hate, Sun.) The answer is
simple: Java is here to stay, it’s important for a growing number
of coders (particularly those concerned with cross-OS portability),
and this book is a more than decent way to learn the language. We
now return you to your regularly scheduled book review, already in
progress.]
Teach Yourself Java 2 in 21 Days, Second Edition
(hereafter, mercifully known as, TYJ) is aimed at pretty
much the audience you’d expect from the title: People with at least
minimal familiarity with programming who need or want to get up to
speed with Java on their own, without a lot of pain. Further,
anyone familiar with Laura Lemay’s earlier Java work won’t find any
surprises here–TYJ has the same comfortable and casual
tone we’ve come to expect from her work and collaborations, along
with a thorough treatment of the language.