David Flanagan et al - Java Enterprise in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference Books

Pros: concise, well-organized and useful once you know Java
Cons: dated, should have Swing

I have spent the past few weeks learning Java, not much thanks to Java in a Nutshell. Do not buy this book to teach you Java. It won't. It is like trying to learn a foreign language from a straight listing of the grammar and verb...

Pros: Great reference for java programmers
Cons: Not for beginners

As another O’Reilly animal book, Java in a Nutshell has a reputation to uphold… and it does so very well. Java in a Nutshell, written by David Flanagan, covers the Java Programming Language to date (version Java 2 1.2 & 1.3). A little more than a third...

Pros: Easy to read description of classes/methods. Good intro to Java!
Cons: None (or at least none when used in conjunction with the other Nutshell books).

This book is probably one of the most useful programming books I own, and as a computer engineering & computer science major, that's saying quite a bit. I think a little background information is necessary before I start talking about the book.
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Pros: Efficiently informative, the best Java reference I've ever seen
Cons: Requires some programming knowledge, may be considered overly complicated by inexperienced programmers

The quintessential Java programming guide, Java In A Nutshell, 3rd Edition, was published in November. This new edition has all the hearty goodness of the second edition, but has been updated with information about Java 1.2 and 1.3 (it still has...

Pros: good for the beginner
Cons: does not discuss Swing

If you read the other epinions about Java in a Nutshell, you will read about all the positives of the book. Yes, it is aided at the beginner. Yes, it introduces topics well. However, if you follow the philosophy of the language, there is one...

Pros: Concise intro to language features, great reference
Cons: Not for beginning programmers

Over the past few years, the O'Reilly "Nutshell" series has proven to be an invaluable source of reference books for programmers. "Java in a Nutshell" is no exception. This book provides one of the best, most concise introductions...

Pros: Very smooth transition from non-programmer to beginning programmer.
Cons: Hard to understand if unfamiliar with syntax and big.

This is one of the most handiest Java references I have ever found. Being a Computer Science major at Loyola Marymount University, I need to stay on top of things and this manual certainly helped me out. When I wasn't connected to the Internet, this...

Pros: Great organization, easy-to-find reference
Cons: not for the beginning Java programmer

There can be sometimes no worse feeling than writing code and blanking on the correct method to call in various situations. Luckily, Java in a Nutshell(JIAN) sits at my desk and is at my fingertips.

This book continues the fine tradition of...

Pros: Awesome reference
Cons: Swing and other more advanced things in separate book

Java in a Nutshell: a desktop quick reference
an O'Reilly book written by David Flanagan

Actually, by the time you buy a Java book, you will probably need a later version than I have (I have the 2nd edition), but you must find the most...

Pros: excellent reference material
Cons: the class and method lists

Java in a Nutshell is an excellent desktop reference manual. However when it comes to learning Java, this wouldn't be my first choice. This book seems to assume that you already have a current working knowledge of Java, or that you can pick it up at...