Sams Teach Yourself Java 2 in 24 Hours (2nd Edition)

Cadenhead (a programmer and writer) writes clearly and with great wit, as though he were interacting with a college pal, making this primer on Java 2 an enjoyable read. The goal is to teach programming to anyone with rudimentary computer skills, described as those who can produce a decent resume, or design a web page. The chapters, designed to take an hour each, lead the reader through the basics of programming, the use of graphical user interface, interactive web programs, and creating multimedia programs using color, sound, and animation. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)