Negative Positive
Title: An ambitious attempt, but falters badly
Review: My business card says "software engineer" but I code very little. This book is the text for an introductory computer science course I am taking. While I admire the authors' attempt at putting Objects First in the curriculum, they have only succeeded in confusing and alienating a number of my classmates with little programming experience. The most glaring weaknesses are the the relatively few, undistinguished examples, and the lack of rigor in teaching Java syntax and semantics. The authors' freely admit that they do not attempt to teach Java itself, but this ultimately leaves students stranded as they peruse the hundreds of Java titles at the local bookstore, looking for a decent language reference. Lastly, they mix a lot of software engineering practice in with the actual computer science. While topics such as programming by contract and software quality are important, I am not convinced that this material is suited for students at the beginning level.
Is the review positive or negative? 