60 Minute Guide to Java and new and improved Tog!!

[The Big Glee Bopper]

Just received IDG's "60 Minute Guide to Java." Looks like a decent book 
but anyone who buys this book because of the 60 minute part should 
already have a degree in computer science and should be programming C++ 
on a daily basis. Even then they will be hard put to finish 252 pages in 
60 minutes. Heck, I can't read Elmore Leonard that quickly and I even 
know what is coming!

And then there is SAMS Java in 21 days which is probably more reasonable, 
particularly for folks new to programming in general with only a 
background in html. Their Perl in 21 days is probably the best Perl intro 
for _new_ users on the market at least thru day 9.

Maybe more interesting is Bruce Tognazzini's "Tog on Software Design." I 
use his "Tog on Interface" for system design at the moment because his 
examples are all drawn from very practical work he's done and it is on 
the money if you actually decide to apply it rather than read it on the 
StairMaster -- it actually is good enough to read at level 6, on manual, 
for 30 minutes, which is the max that my Y lets me hoard.

The essence of Tog on Software Design centers around Sun's Starfire 
project where they use Tog's _scenario_ based design approach to 
brainstorm various future scenarios. There is a little on Java and 
applets for those thinking low level, but if you want to think hog-wild 
about the future you'll get a lot from Future Computing, Applying 
Starfire, Understanding Users, A Garden of Design. The book actually uses 
and talks about the _L_ word which is more than you can say for any of 
the Java books I read so far (3).

I think for anyone seriously dealing, as opposed to thinking, about the 
problems of information design and access whether in a library, a 
bookstore, or a corporation, this book will be very useful.

Tog on Software Design
Bruce Tognazzini
Addison-Wesley
ISBN 0-201-48917-1
$29.95

[There is also a StarFire: The Directors" cut video I have ordered for 
$9.95 which _illustrates_ many of the chapters. I'll get it in a week and 
post a review]

--Thom

p.s. Java who? Java the Hut?