It's a great "first book." It makes the concept of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) very easy to understand for someone who has only done C before. How to Access it Safely

Each chapter ends with a summary, review questions, and programming exercises, which are great for exam preparation.

It is written in very simple, accessible English. It doesn't assume much prior programming knowledge, making it ideal for absolute beginners.

I found Balagurusamy to be the best for clearing university exams because the language is so simple, but for actual industry coding, it lacks depth in modern practices.

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A major criticism is that recent editions often feel like older content with "patches" for newer Java versions. It may not cover modern Java features (like Streams, Lambdas, or the new Date/Time API) as deeply as more modern books like Head First Java or Core Java by Cay Horstmann. Authentic Community Perspectives

The book follows a logical progression—starting from the history of Java and moving through data types, control loops, classes, and then into more complex topics like multithreading and applets.

Check if your institution provides access to digital libraries where you can read it legally.