Hello, readers and writers! It seems that the hectic holiday season has finally come to an end, and the world has already rung in the New Year. I normally don’t put much stock into a new year bringing a lot of change, but I’d be lying if I said that a lot hasn’t been changing on my end. At the very least, I’m getting even more work than usual and one book for which I served as editor (Natir Whitebridge: A Grain of Respect by Ameel Koro) has finally been published. But that’s for another post. Today I want to focus on one thing that hasn’t changed: my book reviews. In particular, I want to review Michael B. White’s Mastering Java: An Effective Project Based Approach Including Web Development, Data Structure, GUI Programming and Object Oriented Programming (Beginner to Advanced).
Mastering Java—much like White’s other programming language book, Mastering Python—is a thorough guide introducing readers to Java, how it works, and how to use it. White uses a hands-on teaching method mixed with typical textbook/how-to writing to take readers on the complete journey from installing Java and learning the basics to exploring complex concepts as web development and GUI programming. From explanations on how to create your first program to a list of Java-related interview questions and their answers, this book contains a little something for both the more beginning-level programmers to advanced users.
After reading Mastering Python, I have to admit that I still understand very little about programming. Frankly, I don’t have the time or the patience to devote as much attention as is needed to learning it; I might not even have the mind for it. However, I was interested in checking out how Java works as well because it is the most-used programming language out there. While I will need to re-read both of these books multiple times in order to proceed any further, I do think that Mastering Java will be useful for those with more of a mind for programming.
White’s writing continues to be just as comprehensive here as it is in Mastering Python. The more casual voice makes it easy to follow along with his explanations and instructions, although the terminology is still a lot for someone entirely new to programming to process. It feels as though White is in the room with you, like a college professor trying to lead a workshop on Java programming. That also means that this book is not a passive read. Instead, as the title implies by calling it a “project-based approach”, you have to follow along with White’s instructions for using Java to create your first project. Given the nature of the subject, this is the best way to learning how to program using Java—hands-on—but that also means that you must more actively engage with this book and it will take a while to get through each section.
With the level of interaction this book requires and the fact that it includes interview questions, Mastering Java is not really for those with casual interest or vague curiosity in programming. Those with absolutely no knowledge of programming and Java might also find everything a bit overwhelming at first and will need to re-read the book several times in order to fully absorb the information. For these reasons, this guide is probably best for those with at least a basic understanding of programming and/or Java who are looking to do something significant with what they learn, especially those who want to pursue a career in this area. The most novice of programmers, such as myself, will want to try something more concise and basic and then pursue the more in-depth information provided here.
Overall, just like with his Mastering Python book, Michael B. White’s Mastering Java is not for everyone. It is very detailed and covers just about everything that can be covered in a book like this, which can either confuse and/or frustrate novice users or initially feel repetitive for advanced programmers. Nevertheless, it is a good place to find almost everything you would need to know about using Java or to brush up on the knowledge you’ve already gained. At around 687 pages, the length of the book can be intimidating, but every bit of it is useful and necessary for the purpose of this guide. If you have some knowledge of Java that you wish to expand or you want to review what you already know in preparation for an interview, this guide is the book for you.
You can buy an eBook of Mastering Java by Michael B. White on Amazon.
Do you know of any books I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com.
Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011