Languages Books

This book is being used in a Spanish club by a small group of seniors ages 82 to 93. This is the fourth side by side book that we have used. We wish there would be more.Stories from Latin America : Historias de Latinoamerica

Good book! Great to learn a little about the culture while also learning/improving my spanish vocabularly and understanding. I think it's great to incorporate reading spanish in order to attempt to fully understand the language. I liked this book in doing so, but it would be nice if there was a gradual immersion into all of the new words. I've also looked into verb books which I think would be very beneficial as there are some conjugated verbs that you can't find in the dictionary because their so different from the original word. Plus, I've heard this is very beneficial in really learning to be fluent...Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses by Dorothy Devney

This is a fantastic book for Spanish review and practice. Very easy to check yourself and translate vocabulary because of the accurate English translations. The stories give you cultural insight,as well.

The book is a fine addition to help one who is studying the Spanish language. Es un buen libro.

Excellent stories covering the history and culture of Latin American countries. Makes for great reading and a valuable learning tool.

The book was excellent in detail, beautifully designed and gave page after page of hidden items. It provided hours of searching for alphabetic pictures and was very entertaining.

At first I wasn't sure I liked the book. I didn't like some of the darker pictures like 'Y', or the rhymes that didn't really make any sense to me, but I proved myself wrong. This book is sooo addicting! You could sit down for hours scavenging for words. There are so many!
Some people may mistake this for a little kiddy alphabet book. It couldn't be any less kiddy-ish! It's hard because it's not like the 'I Spy' books, where it has a little rhyme telling you what to find. There aren't many guidelines there to tell you what's in the picture. You have to figure it out yourself. Also, a lot of the words are pretty hard.
This book is definitely worth buying. Buy it and you'll never EVER be bored again!

The Ultimate Alphabet is a very good book. It has 26 pages of every word you can think of. It might take looking in a few different books like a flag, animal, fish, bird, and flower book to do the page. The only thing I don't like is they say there is so many words in a letter and I never find close to that many. I don't know if I sould count the word plural if there is more than one of the thing. I mean paint is not the same word as paints is it? The B's, J's, and P's are my favorite. I would get somewhere all those books the flag, ect. and a dictionary. It's very good. Now let me go back and type the J's on the computer.

If you've never seen this book, you dont know what your missing. This is by far one of the best Art / Puzzle / Alphabet books ever writen (or in this case, painted). Mike Wilks is amazing. He paints hundread of things starting with each letter into each picture. Its great because you have to be creative to figure out them all. If you can find this book, buy it, its totally worth it. I hope the republish it sometime soon.

I first heard of Mike Wilks when I was nearly 16. We saw a video about him in my art class at school back in 1992. All the kids looked pretty impressed, I certainly was. The film showed the way Wilks produces his pictures. We saw his studio in the Pyrenees mountains, an obsessively clean, sparkling white room, where the artist works in complete silence. The video made it quite clear that Wilks is a perfectionist, treating every image with the utmost care.

I finally bought "The Annotated Ultimate Alphabet" about five years after seeing the video. The quality of the artwork is incredible, there aren't many books like this around. Not only is this book entertaining, it is useful as well. Apparently Mike Wilks was influenced by Salvador Dali, but I think he is better than that. My favourite page is the letter "S", a room filled with more than 1000 objects beginning with that letter. I still can't name everything.

There are all kinds of objects in this book, ranging from the very common, to the really obscure. Some things are instantly recognisable, others will leave you completely baffled. It would be no exaggeration to say that anyone who reads this book and absorbs it fully will become an excellent Scrabble player.

In these images Mike Wilks demonstrates exeptional ability, particularly with the airbrush. Here we see draftsmanship of the highest order, just about every member of the animal kingdom is represented accurately. Pen and ink drawings accompany the word lists, giving additional nourishment to a growing vocabulary.

This book gives new meaning to that phrase about a picture saying a thousand words.

The book arrived well on time and in excellent condition. The price was the best I'd seen from any of the online retailers I viewed.

It is an amazing and helpful book. It really is a guide to using contemporary Russian. The best book I purchased in 2007. I use it often. It is one of the five important books for learning Russian. What do I list as the five book? Wade's A Comprehensive Russian Grammar, Wade's Using Russian Synonyms, Beyer's Pronounce it Perfectly in Russian, a dictionary and this book.

If you want to master Russian as a secound language, this book is a major help.

There's not a whole lot I can say about this book that hasn't already been said. I noticed, however, that most of the reviews were written before the second edition of this book was published. Rest assured that Mr. Offord has made a great book on Russian even greater.

Perhaps the most useful part of the new edition is the section on computer and Internet terminology in Russian, a lexicon that is conspicuously absent from most of my other Russian books. Thanks to the revision, this volume is now every bit the contemporary usage guide its subtitle indicates. And if you want an idea of just how authoritative the book is, the Schaum's Outline of Russian Grammar (which has earned five stars practically across the board) lists "Using Russian" as its source for the entire chapter on Russian prepositions. And the prepositions section of "Using Russian" is only a tiny fraction of its rich repository.

The only drawback to this book is that it is a bit expensive, especially for a paperback, but it will reward you with a constant return on your investment. No serious Russian student's reference library should be without it.

I've always had my command of the Russian language complimented by native speakers. Not only do they praise the refineness of my speech, but also the varying degree of registers and different applications of style of my spoken Russian. My written Russian has gotten no less compliments; it has always been compared to that of an educated Russian - well-refined, very correct and very upscale, with a nice touch of colloquialism to spice up the writing. When chatting with Russians of my age (21), I will often resort to colloquial speech. As a result, what people compliment the most about my Russian is not only my command of the language (which does get its fair share of compliments), but also its 'flexibility.'

However, this is not a review on my fluency in Russian, but what has become of my Russian after reading and studying this book.

Not only does it take your command from advanced to proficient, it also covers different aspects, styles and registers of the Russian language; something which is often ignored in other conventional Russian textbooks. I have books of the same series focusing on different languages (i.e. Using German), and none of them was as in-depth as the Using Russian textbook. It even covers aspects of the Russkiy Mat - or Russian swear words, that other, more "politically correct" textbooks are often inclined to ignore. Russian swear words are an essential part of Russian colloquial speech, whether we like to admit it or not. This book, unlike other Russian textbooks, acknowledges this issue and dedicates a small, but detailed, section about the Russian swear words. That's only a small part of it.

While it does explain the grammar at some points, this book is primarily focused, as the book title suggests, on the APPLICATION of the language, and different circumstances that require different registers. It also gives the varying dialects and different words used across different styles (from colloquial to elevated) in order for the learner to add more flexibility to his command of the language.

In sum, I cannot say anything but agree with what every other review has said about this book. It is simply awesome and truly helpful to those learning Russian.

However, I would disagree with those who say that Using Russian substitues Wade's "A Comprehensive Russian Grammar" because both books are important and both books are invaluable to the Russian language learner. The only difference is that both books have two DIFFERENT FOCUSES, where one is more concerned with the grammar and fundamentals of the language, and the other is more concerned with the actual application of the language. Both books, in essence, compliment each other.

Mr. Offord has done an amazing thing by developing this book. I'm not exaggerating when I say it has clarified the language and helped me speak it more than did living for months in Russia -- or maybe the combination of the two was the trick. I can't wait to see what he's added for the 2nd edition.

The book -- and the others in the series (German, French, etc) -- will appeal especially to those who enjoy learning language using a formal approach, organizing topics into e.g. registers, augmentative suffixes, homographs, modal particles, etc. Don't be afraid! It all adds wonderful clarity. His English equivalents of words and phrases with subtle meanings are very well done.

After having studied it, I still enjoy picking it up and looking through a random section. Don't hesitate to get it if you enjoy Russian and are past the basics.

This book keeps you on the edge of your seat. One that you can;t put down. The Author has a real talent.Get ready for a mystery that keeps you quessing.

This is a very compelling novel! I was unable to put it down until reading every page! Really keeps the reader intrigued all the way to the end. The authoress has done a fine job in keeping the reader guessing the identity of the killer until the very final chapter of the book. It is spell binding and well written. I would highly recommend it for reading by all. Looking forward to many other novels by Anne Garber. I enjoy her style of writing.

Anne Garber's book, Voices, is phenominal! The pages kept turning. The characters seemed so real. I loved John, disliked Allen and was annoyed with Anthony. The women; I admired Carol's devotion to her children and have known women like Linda and Debbie. I look forward to reading more by this author.

This is no doubt one of the best books I've read!! I literally could not put the book down. It kept pulling me back to read more. I would compare Garber's writing with Patricia Cornwell. While reading the book, just as you think you have the murderer figured out, you begin doubting yourself. The book takes many turns and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's one of those books that you are sorry when it ends. You want more, and I for one can't wait for her next book. I highly recommend this book!!

Voices is about a serial killer & the lives he touches. It's also about the investigators trying to find him & the family & friends of the suspected killer. It is written from different angles & the author has created believable characters - likable & not so likable.

The book begins with the investigators at a crime scene & Garber holds nothing back in her descriptions of the scene. The killer's signature is an "X" carved over the victims mouths & eyes & a rope around their neck, held in place by an old style clothespin. Gruesome!

The tidbits about the killer's movement are strategically placed so it keeps you guessing. As soon as you think you have it figured out Garber throws another curve at you.

This is Garber's first book & I hope it isn't her last. This writer has talent!

THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ! Even better than the classics the teacher in my school tells me to read. I really liked reading this book, wish it were longer even though it's already 300 pages, but I wished it went on forever because it was really good. I haven't read a book in more than 3 months and this book got me back to reading. After I finished, I was kind of upset I finished the book, it's too good. I'm so glad I bought this book!

I read this book when I was young and read it again recently. It was even better. I have read many books and none have given me the feeling of this one. The review that calls it "slow building horror" is right on the mark. Completely engrossing and unsettling. Here is a VERY short description. Bryce moves to an isolated old boomtown. Ancient legends, town history, and an old indian woman who "sees" things all take part in unfolding the truth of a horror that Bryce sees is gaining power as events in town get stranger. Although the novel is aimed toward young adults, the plot and idea of this book would be interesting for anyone. Also, if you read this, is it just me or does it seem that Steve Zell makes a lot sexual references that are sort of creepy and off and definitely don't go with the book? When I read it I was trying to see what the relevance of some were and just couldn't see any even though they are blatant and numerous. That was the only thing about the book that I didn't like. Email me at scoulo1@lsu.edu if you agree because I really am curious to know if I wasn't the only one.

The story was suspensful and fun. The characters were well defined and the surroundings and events were very well described. I could taste the warm, Indian bread! I seriously could not put the book down. I truly enjoyed this book!

The story was suspensful and fun. The characters were well defined and the surroundings and events were very well described. I could taste the warm, Indian bread! I seriously could not put the book down. I truly enjoyed this book!

From the title "WiZrD", I assumed I would be reading a fantasy book. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this is a horror novel set in modern day Arizona, includes a cast of humans (alive, dead, and undead), and incorporates colorful, actual legends from both the Navaho and Anasazi cultures. The book gave me many of the positive impressions I had while reading "It" by Stephen King, e.g., teenagers battling supernatural forces, characters you care about, and some spine-tingling imagery. However, unlike "It", "WiZrD" builds, from the start, to a thoroughly fitting and imaginative ending. Zell has a real talent for creating a large cast of characters, each of whom are unique, each fitting like a puzzle piece into the overall story, and each contributing to the eerie climax. In general, I was very impressed with this book and highly recommend it. Zell shows great storytelling skills that I hope will only improve in his next work.

Anybody who's interested in how we write the world over would do well to pick up this book. It's awfully costly, it's true, but if you're patient and you poke around a little, you can find it used for a third or less of what it's listed for.
Serious linguists specializing in writing might read it through, but amateurs--like me--will just pick it up and leaf through it, stopping here and there, reading this chapter or that, or will use it to look up some specific thing they might want to know about, say, Bishop Wulfila's Gothic script's roots in the Greek alphabet or the origins of the Georgian or Armenian alphabets.
It tells about scripts found all over the world, big ones--Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and so on--and far less well known ones, like Berber, Cherokee, Ethiopian, Deseret and some found in Indonesia and islands in the Indian Ocean.
It tells the historic backgrounds and--for lack of a better word--genealogies of the scripts, then shows how they work.
One thing that irks me no end is a shortcoming not with the book itself, but rather with the publishing business as a whole: the font used in the book is inadequate. It is appalling that in a book about writing systems, there are characters that have to be set in other fonts from the main book forn--sometimes even within one word--and characters that show up as composite characters with diacritics off center from the letter they modify. It is a fairly simple thing to edit a font and add characters as needed. It is a shame that major publishing companies seem unwilling to make the small investment in typography that would let them set a book like this in one font, with all the characters needed, so that it reads smoothly, without distracting inconsistencies throughout.
Now, this is indeed a niggling compalint, and it in no way reflects on the beek itself, the writers or the editors. It is the fault of the publisher, and should in no way dissuade anyone interested in this admittedly esoteric subject from getting this book.

It seems that this book is not intended for a general reader, judging both by its price and by multitude of unexplained linguistic terms plentifully sown in the book. I bought this book becuse of many positive reviews and because it was drastically reduced to USD45. The book scans many dozens of wrining systems, as good as it's possible to squeese into ten-some page article, but unfortunately, many of the systems, especialy the ancient and the modern Oriental are too complicated and extended to be fully accounted in a limited space, so you can get acquanited with some 30 Sumer pictograms and never know the other 550, or you can see the 200 Chinese chanacters and just recall there several thousands more or look into Devanagari alphabet but then keep in mind there is a multitude of amalgams that are not easily recognized and so on.
It is also very helpful if one knows like what exactly sounds a linguolabial or a laminal or a voiced epiglottal fricative, otherwise he may be at lost..

The "World's Writing Systems" is a rare event for in one tome it covers all the ways of writing known to us at present. As a professional graphologist this is an absolute boon not only for what it is but because it is also on special offer. While there are other tomes of similar ilk and implication this work has no equal. Until now the study of written language has had no clearly defined reference work.

It has now. Thoroughly recommended.

Peter West

This a detailed survey of the systems that have been used for writing the world's languages, going far beyond the most familiar ones to encompass ones normally known only to specialists, ranging from the ancient Turkish runiform script to the Vai syllabary of Liberia, invented in modern times. Although it was written by experts for experts to read (and priced accordingly, but see the last paragraph below) most of it is well within the understanding of interested non-specialists. The authors assume a knowledge of the International Phonetic Alphabet, but it would have been almost impossible to avoid that, even if the book had been intended for the general reader. Even there it is perhaps an exaggeration to say that this is assumed, because the IPA is set out (albeit without much explanation) inside the front and back covers.

In a book of this kind the quality of the printing is a major consideration, as the samples of text need to be large enough and black enough for the individual characters to be read, and ideally should harmonize with the surrounding text in English. Before the age of computer-based typesetting it would have been impossible even to approach this ideal except at enormous price, but now it has become realistic. In general this book comes very close to the ideal, with a very high level of typography.

At more than 900 pages the book goes far beyond a mere listing of scripts with samples. It also includes a great deal of historical and cultural information, explaining how the different scripts evolved to their present state. In addition there is information about how the more successful scripts, not just Latin but also Arabic, Russian, Hebrew, Aramaic and so on, were adapted to languages different from those where they began.

At its published price the book is probably beyond the pockets of most general readers. It is worth mentioning, therefore, that on at least two occasions in recent years it has been available through Amazon with a very large discount, and one can probably expect this to happen again. I bought my copy at 40% of the published price, for example, and with that sort of discount it need not be restricted to libraries and specialists.

...it's missing many language script tables that I was hoping for. Don't get me wrong, this book is amazing and filled useful information and language tables - just not all of them. I was hoping for some representation (optimally in an alphabet table format) of the usage of the Arabic-based script for Hausa, Swahili, the Central Asian languages, and some complete detail of which languages have (ever) incorporated an Arabic-based script, when they did, when it was withdrawn or changed (if applicable), comparative texts with the modern scripts, etc. In conclusion, a treasury of information (a lot of which might be quite difficult to track down on your own and would be very time-consuming), marred only by my high expectations. I definitely recommend this book to language lovers and for those who can appreciate the diversity of human expression.

Very useful book. I've been borrowing a copy from the library for the past ten weeks, and it's high time I bought my own copy. It has helped me greatly in constructing my pieces. I'm a journalist/blogger with three deadlines every week and 50 or 60 clips, and Hart's book has been useful in more ways than I can summarize. I'll just say that I almost never buy writing books, and I never write reviews on Amazon. I'm making an exception to both rules for this great book. It's aimed at beginners, but journalists with dozens or even hundreds of pieces behind them will find useful ideas too.

A Writer's Coach: The Complete Guide to Writing Strategies That Work is a practical and comprehensive writer's companion for beginners, professionals and anyone in between.

Whether you write non-fiction or fiction, Hart offers examples of strategies and techniques for eliminating procrastination, breaking through writer's block, establishing and narrowing focus, and developing a voice-all vital components in any writer's toolkit. Also included are sections on the rhythm of words, and the mechanics of writing.

Hart, a former professor at the University of Oregon, and editor at large at The Oregonian, explains his method in a clear and concise manner easy to comprehend. Mastering the art of language is a process achieved by understanding and utilizing key strategies to expand your skills as a writer.

After reading A Writer's Coach, I have a better grasp on how to assemble my thoughts into a cohesive and focused structure, and convey them for better reader clarity.

Armchair Interviews says: A must-have book for writers at any level!

I found Hart's book to be incredibly useful. As a professional editor and writer, it was refreshing to read a text on writing that was so well written. I also bought it for my father who is writing a book.

It reminds me of a good college text book, but with real-world examples and stories.

A key text for anyone considering writing a book, or for anyone who wants to improve their writing in general.

Books on writing often reiterate the same advice we learn over time, the reader sometimes lucks out in using a tidbit or two. Realistically, no one has time to study the advice and put it to practice. Thus, it's not a bad thing for a book on writing to cover the things we've read before. The more we read about it, the more it stinks in.

But you can't read A Writer's Coach in the same way you read any other writing book. This one goes deeper meaning a reader may absorb the information better by reading one chapter at a time to understand and practice the concepts. Coaching an athlete to improve at something doesn't happen overnight. Thus, this book targets the serious writer who needs to move beyond the basic books on writing in order to take writing to the next level.

I try to avoid writing general reviews that tell the reader nothing, but Hart is a master in explaining the concepts of method, process, structure, and everything else he covers. It's difficult to capture them into a little review when I try to avoid long reviews.

Business and life coaching grows more popular because they're effective in helping people change behavior and improve. In thinking about coaches, I reflected on my childhood years when I played sports. The best coaches point out the right way to swing a bat, serve a volleyball, or shoot a basket. They also help players review their weaker moves so they can fix their form rather than let them continue using bad form, which will hurt them in the end. "Coach" is a fitting word in the title because Hart takes the coaching approach in showing the writer the right form for taking an idea from start to finish.

The book speaks more to journalists and non-fiction writers. However, much advice works across all writing genres -- so those who thrive on telling stories can glean a few valuable lessons from Hart. Expect to find high quality content that you find in the best college textbooks -- except subtract the stiff and convoluted writing. Hart's writing style makes the reading easy. A Writer's Coach contains smart, clear and logical guidance that will take a writer's writing skills to the next level.

Of all the writing guides out there, this one stands out for its balance between passion, precision and technique. You'll find some real gems tucked nonchalantly into the most unassuming paragraphs. Most helpful are the check-lists at the end of every chapter.
As a novelist, I gleaned a lot of wisdom and encouragement from this book. If you want to build a library of master teaching, add to this Stephen King's On Writing, and Donald Maass' Writing the Break Out Novel. These three are spot on.

This is a quick read, filled with great information and brutal honesty. Perhaps this is what I enjoyed the most since a lot of the information in here I had read in other places. (Hence the 4 star rating rather than 5.) Nonetheless, I like how the author tells writers to work the way that is best for them, as opposed to trying to be the model writer discussed in writing magazines. I also liked how the specific information I was looking for was easy to find. You can choose to read it straight through, or only the section that is pertinent to your situation. This book is a worthy investment for a personal library of books about writing.

Whether you are a beginning writer or an established author, this book gives solid advice. I love how you can read the book from cover to cover or just flip to a section that you want to know about right now. Keep it handy and reference it often.
Karen Reddick, author of Grammar Done Right!

I am very happy with my purchase it has great information and was received quickly. My transaction with the seller was smooth and flawless. Thank You.

The writing tips in this book were vey useful to me. They were easy to digest, written to give the biggest impact in the shortest amount of space, and very, very practical. I commend Scott Edelstein for writing a fine piece of nonfiction. He covers may areas of writing, and even though his tips are short, each sentence carries a lot of weight. I would recommend this book highly to those searching to improve their writing career.

"100 Things Every Writer Needs to Know" is one of those books that the title alone causes you to set your expectations low. Not being the thickest tome doesn't help the cause.

But what a surprise this pleasant little book is!

In a sea of writers' helps, this one carves a niche by not only being surprisingly comprehensive in the breadth of topics it addresses, but also densely packed with useful tips. And did I mention that it is also breezily written, so it is not a chore to wade through? Kudos to Scott Edelstein for writing such a fine book to help writers, while also simultaneously proving that it is possible to know the writing profession inside and out and STILL actually write well!

This book contains plenty of the typical writer's advice like getting through writer's block, fostering creativity, and such, but also discusses the spiritual aspects of writing, common myths of the profession, and even technical advice. Each of the one hundred tips of the trade runs little more than a couple pages (with major exceptions being a few of the glossary tips), so this is a book that can digested in spurts. Read a bit, put it down for a while, and then read some more later.

What makes this book, though, is Edelstein's welcoming writing style. Within a few pages, you feel like you know him and vice versa. He's the mentor all of us need.

Much more than expected. A worthy addition to your writing library.

I love reading this book to my 7 month old. The illustrations are gorgeous for adults to enjoy and whimsical and fun for children to gaze at. Every time we read it, I find something new I hadn't seen before -- it's such an inventive book with a lovely little "storyline" and connections between pages. We'll never get bored with it!

I bought this book for my 3 year-old son and he loves it. The illustrations are really beautiful and it is a sturdy book that is perfect for young children. I highly recommend this book.

I recently discovered _A B C: A Child's First Alphabet Book_ by Alison Jay. What a delight! Each letter of the alphabet is given a full page, if not a two-page spread. The text is very simple, following the "A is for apple" format. Both upper- and lowercase versions of the target letter are shown.

The art, however, is extraordinary! It usually occupies most of the page with the target object most prominent. The subtleties, though, are what give this book its whimsical charm: other objects on the page that begin with the same letter (they are all listed on the last page) and the recurrence of objects throughout the book. Nearly every page contains as a small, obscure detail the object that will be prominently featured with the next letter of the alphabet. Sometimes these are embedded secondary details -- in the pattern of a plate, for example, or on the cover of a book.

Jay's book contains all the seeds for the discovery and excitement that prompt a child to exclaim, "Look! That's just like . . ." and scurry back through the pages, searching for the remembered image. The suggestion of a story line is there, too, with an explorer, a map, and a treasure chest.

I am so grateful to have discovered Alison Jay (both author and illustrator). _A B C: A Child's First Alphabet Book_ is the first book I have bought for my first grandchild, due to be born next month.

For a format so simple, there is so much to see, and a story reveals itself within the pictures. I admit that I loved this book more than my daughter who was 18 months old or so at the time. She was too young to appreciate the story aspect. It is a high-quality book that I suspect children will find engaging as they grow older.

This book and its companion by Alison Jay, "Picture This," are two of our daughter's favorites books. The illustrations are beautiful and capture her attention. She loves pointing out all the characters and toys, especially as they repeat onto pages throughout the book. I also love how each letter page will have many things starting with the same letter that may not be immediately obvious. For example, the "D" page is for "Dog," but the Dog is Dancing, there is also a Donut on a Dish on the table, with a Duck in the picture on the wall, a Doll on the shelf, a Doorknob on the Door, Diamond shapes in the floor, etc. The more we look at these pictures, the more we see! We've given this pair of books to several new parents with rave reviews. You can't go wrong.

I had originally bought this book for son who was going to spend the summer working for my development team writing unit test for our database POJOs. I was so impressed way in which concepts were incrementally introduced I read the book cover to cover. It is now the only book I recommend to beginners and I introduce it as a 'must' read for all my new hires.

This is my new favorite-book-to-give-to-anyone-who-is-learning-or-using-Java.

The title is misleading in that this book is about much more than just the Agile Programming stuff. While it does a great job talking about Agile techniques and always starts by creating a unit test, the book really is about all aspects of Java (specifically Java 5) programming. Anyone who takes the time to work through the examples will become a much better Java programmer.

OO patterns, collections, type safety and more are covered and explained in the context of a rich, in-depth example. And because the author has you construct a high-quality test suite around the example, you are free to experiment with different ways to implement each new feature - thus proving to yourself the benefits of Agile design.

Just like it says in one of the quotes on the cover, this book is now required reading for the Java programmers at our company.

I'm not a beginning programmer, or even an absolute Java novice, so maybe this book isn't really aimed at me. My biggest gripe is that the code snippets continue on and on making the book very poor for anything other than cover-to-cover reading.

I've gotten about 6 chapters into this book and I love it. I've been developing Java for almost 7 years and am currently teaching myself Agile principles and this book comes as a great help.

This book is primarily for new programmers who want to learn Java as their first programming language. The book can also be helpful for programmers familiar with test driven development (TDD) but new to Java, or vice versa. I am an experienced Java developer, and I found that going through Agile Java presented me with a new and better way of approaching Java code development. This book covers Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE) version 5.0, but covers only a few of the additional APIs at an introductory level. Technologies that are used pervasively in the majority of enterprise applications, such as logging, JDBC, and Swing, are presented in Agile Java. Some of the information, such as that on logging, will teach you all you need to know for most purposes. Other lessons, such as those on Swing and JDBC, will give you a basic understanding of the technology and will tell you where to go when seeking further information.

The core of Agile Java is fifteen lessons of about 30 pages each. It starts with baby steps in Java, TDD, and OO. The book finishes with a strong foundation for professional Java development. The core lessons should be read sequentially since each lesson builds upon the previous ones. Once you have completed the core lessons, you should have a solid understanding of how to build robust Java code. If you haven't completed the fifteen core lessons, you should not assume you know how to write good Java code. Each of the fifteen core lessons in Agile Java has you build bits and pieces of a student information system for a university. This single common theme helps demonstrate how you can incrementally build upon and extend existing code. Each lesson also finishes with a series of exercises. Instead of the student information system, the bulk of the exercises have you build bits and pieces of a chess application. Some of the exercises are involved and quite challenging, but they are where learning the methodology really begins.

There are three additional lessons to cover a few more Java topics. Two of the lessons present an introduction to Swing. These two lessons will provide you with enough information to begin building robust user interface applications in Java. But the bigger intent is to give you some ideas for how to build them using TDD. The third additional lesson presents an overview for a number of Java topics that most Java developers will want to know such as JARs, regular expressions, cloning, JDBC, and internationalization.

I really liked how the author integrated the three concepts of Java programming, TDD, and object-oriented design without confusing matters. The book is very clear with good illustrations. I highly recommend it. The following is the table of contents:

Lesson 1. Getting Started
Lesson 2. Java Basics
Lesson 3. Strings and Packages
Lesson 4. Class Methods and Fields
Lesson 5. Interfaces and Polymorphism
Lesson 6. Inheritance
Lesson 7. Legacy Elements
Lesson 8. Exceptions and Logging
Lesson 9. Maps and Equality
Lesson 10. Mathematics
Lesson 11. IO
Lesson 12. Reflection and Other Advanced Topics
Lesson 13. Multithreading
Lesson 14. Generics
Lesson 15. Assertions and Annotations
Additional Lesson - Swing, Part 1
Additional Lesson II. Swing, Part 2
Additional Lesson III. Java Miscellany
Appendix A: An Agile Java Glossary
Appendix B: Java Operator Precedence Rules
Appendix C: Getting Started with IDEA
Agile Java References