Reading Room
Java and a Good Book
By Lou Grinzo
I have been in this business in one form or another for 17 years, and I've literally never seen anything take the industry by storm the way Java has. As I write this, the computer news each day seems to carry at least one announcement, pre-announcement, or rumor of one company or another providing support for Java, whether directly in an OS or in the form of a programming tool or standalone product. I almost expect to receive a press release any day now saying that Charles Babbage has risen from the dead and announced that version 2.0 of the Analytical Engine will support Java.
Publishers, of course, are anything but deaf to the thunder of this stampede, which means we're already awash in Java books, with many more coming. And that's a good thing, because those of us interested in the language—and who haven't worked for Sun on the Java project—are just learning about this new and quickly evolving tool. To help you sift through the pile, I'll take a look at three Java titles that approach the language from three different directions: inside-out, outside-in, and through the back door. (Also see "
Sidebar".)
Inside-out: The Java Programming Language
There are some books that you may not need right now, but there's a reasonable chance you might a year or more down the road, after they're out of print and impossible to find. Looking over The Java Programming Language in a store, you might readily conclude that regardless of its shelf life (which I predict will be considerable), it's a title you need.
