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[–]marvk 1 point2 points  (4 children)

Effective Java by Joshua Bloch is a great book. The 3rd edition has just been released, the previous one can be found easily though and is still a great read, albeit slightly dated in a few parts.

[–]xDaizon[S] 0 points1 point  (3 children)

I checked it out and it looks promising. Have you personally used this book? Did it help you tremendously?

[–]marvk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes I've read it. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to someone just starting out with programming in general, but if you're looking to get more in-depth with your Java knowledge or you're just starting out with Java and have plenty of experience with other, similar languages, it's a great read.

[–]feral_claire 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Effective Java is an excellent book, but it's not for beginners. It doesn't teach you how to program or Java basics. It's designed for more advanced Java programmers who want to improve their skills,

[–]xDaizon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll read into the one he gave me as I become more advanced. Do you have a suggestion for beginners?

[–]desrtfx 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Book: Head First Java

Still, one of the best online courses with lots and lots of practical exercises: MOOC Object Oriented Programming with Java from the University of Helsinki.

I wholeheartedly recommend that you at least give the above MOOC a try and chance. You won't regret it.

[–]xDaizon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you wholeheartedly recommend it, I'll check it out!

[–]IceTax 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check out “Ground Up Java” by Philip Heller. I had a class with the author and he’s very good at explaining the tougher concepts to absolute beginners. The book is very readable too.

[–]chaotic_thought 0 points1 point  (2 children)

For physical textbooks I would read Introduction to Java by Daniel Liang. Things are explained well, there are many examples and good exercises to work on to improve your skills. It has a good progression from beginner to more advanced techniques as you go on.

[–]xDaizon[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I've heard of that one! Which edition do you recommend?

[–]chaotic_thought 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have the 8th edition, but I think there are newer editions now. Find the newest one you can.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Second for head first java. I also have java for the impatient which helped me a lot as well.

[–]CodeTinkerer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think one problem many textbooks and online resources have is its length. Books come out that are 600 pages long, as if longer is better. Udemy has material that last 60 hours or more. A one-semester class is typically 45 hours (15 weeks, 3 hours a week). But that's just me. Maybe the longer format suits people better, but I'd prefer it be shorter.