Books

I’ve found the following books useful and recommend them to anyone learning java:

Effective Java
This is a must have book, with valuable information about the java language – every java developer should have a copy on their desk.

Design Patterns Explained
A great introduction to design patterns, and extremely well written.

Pragmatic Unit Testing in Java with JUnit
If you are going to build quality software, then you’ll have to get familiar with unit testing. This book gets you up to speed easily.

Extreme Programming Explained 2nd Edition
Even if you are not working in an agile environment, there are still some very good points in this book about the software development process and how to improve it. If you are working in an agile environment, then this is an essential companion.

Others

I haven’t read the following books, but I’ve heard about them and would like to someday:

Working Effectively with Legacy Code
Thinking in Java (4th Edition)
Java(TM) Puzzlers: Traps, Pitfalls, and Corner Cases

The Pragmatic Bookshelf

The Pragmatic Programmers have a great selection of books, available in both PDF and print.

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