Thinking in Java by Bruce Eckel

Thinking in Java is a "brash, arrogant, opinionated, independent, knowledgeable, interesting, readable book on Java." Eckel uses superb analogies between software concepts and everyday things to deliver a book ideal for teaching. It is unique because it was made available by Eckel on the Internet and so has been tested by thousands of users. Many of these people are waiting for the book to arrive.