No one brews up a better Java guide than Cay Horstmann and in this Third Edition of Big Java he’s perfected his recipe. Thoroughly updated to include Java 6, the Third Edition of Horstmann’s bestselling text helps you absorb computing concepts and programming principles, develop strong problem-solving skills, and become a better programmer, all while exploring the elements of Java that are needed to write real-life programs.
A top-notch introductory text for beginners, Big Java, Third Edition is also a thorough reference for students and professionals alike to Java technologies, Internet programming, database access, and many other areas of computer science.
Features of the Third Edition:
- The ‘Objects Gradual’ approach leads you into object-oriented thinking step-by-step, from using classes, implementing simple methods, all the way to designing your own object-oriented programs.
- A strong emphasis on test-driven development encourages you to consider outcomes as you write programming code so you design better, more usable programs
- Helpful “Testing Track” introduces techniques and tools step by step, ensuring that you master one before moving on to the next
- New teaching and learning tools in WileyPLUS–including a unique assignment checker that enables you to test your programming problems online before you submit them for a grade
- Graphics topics are developed gradually throughout the text, conveniently highlighted in separate color-coded sections
- Updated coverage is fully compatible with Java 5 and includes a discussion of the latest Java 6 features
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Good entry level java book
Big java is a good place to begin learning how to program, and to begin learning the Java language. It teaches all the basic control structures and syntax necessary to begin programming quickly. They also have an optional WileyPlus program for testing / additional review and source code. It might have been nice if the source code was included for free with the book on a Cd or through a download but still a good book.
2 Stars Don’t buy unless you have to for a course
So-so ho hum textbook. Only got it as it was required for a course I was taking. I would NOT recommend this as a resource to learn the language - you are gonna get rid of it as soon as the class is over. Buy it as cheap as you can and dump it after the class.
4 Stars Good
Having never taken a program course before this, I was pleasantly surprised at the candid nature of Horstmann’s writing. Often, author of textbooks will sound promising in their introductions but not deliver in the execution of a tome. Here, however, we find in Horstmann a author gifted at explaining difficult concepts with a lucidity that cannot always be taken for granted. Bravo!
4 Stars A little too complete, a little too expensive
Don’t get me wrong; this is a good Java text. The concepts are explained in a pretty clear manner, which is a trick when trying to explain OOP concepts to someone who has never programmed (which is the book’s target audience). But that also leads me to my main criticism of the book: it tries to cover too much material. Anyone who knows C or C++ will find significant chunks of the book to be only review. Even Visual Basic coders will find parts of the book that cover stuff they already know (e.g. rudimentary programming concepts).
So if you’ve never written a computer program, and you want to learn Java, this might be your best bet (although your goal — and the price of the book — are a bit daunting). If you already know how to program, but don’t know about objects or Java, I would recommend Eckel’s “Thinking in Java” (4th edition), or “Head First Java” from O’Reilly.
