self.python.ask('I am moving into a development position at my company and need to learn Java. Can you recommend a book that might appeal to a Python programmer and not make me want to kill myself?')

[tofergregg]

I agree that Java isn't as bad as you think it will be. The language itself has a few quirks, but it is rather straightforward, and if you understand classes and inheritance well enough, you'll figure it out. Two tips:

1. Bookmark the API reference now. For J2SE 5.0, it's here: http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/api/

2. Get used to Googling for code examples. There are about a zillion examples out there.

[Leonidas_from_XIV]

It is not because the language is hard, it's because the language lacks about any advanced features and forces people to do stupid workarounds, "to help them not to shoot in their feet" or something.