Want to learn Java? This beginning book brings an exciting, new approach to Java instruction that eases the learning curve and uses the NetBeans IDE to make you productive as quickly as possible. In fact, in just 22 chapters, you'll grow from beginner to entry-level professional Along the way, this book presents all of the critical skills that you need to move on to web or mobile development with Java. It presents object-oriented features like inheritance, interfaces, and polymorphism in a way that's both understandable and useful in the real world. It covers the most important features introduced in Java 8 such as lambda expressions and the new date/time API. It provides realistic sample applications that put these skills into context. It provides exercises that you can use to gain valuable hands-on experience. And it's all done in the distinctive Murach style that has been training professional programmers for over 40 years.