Prentice Hall PTR has announced the publication of leading Java expert Bruce Eckel's Thinking in Java, Fourth Edition. According to the publisher’s press release, this best-selling title has earned raves from programmers and students worldwide for its extraordinary clarity, careful organization, and small, direct programming examples. From the fundamentals of Java syntax to its most advanced features, "Thinking in Java" is designed to teach, one simple step at a time.

Following the award-winning tradition of the previous editions, Thinking in Java, Fourth Edition is the definitive introduction to Java and object-oriented programming. Eckel has thoroughly updated and revised his classic text for J2SE 5.0, the most enhanced version of the Java language since its inception. This edition boasts 12 new chapters on such critical topics as Generics, Arrays, Enumerated Types, and Annotations, and is organized specifically for teaching both in a classroom and seminar setting. All 23 chapters are packed with examples that have been written to achieve maximum understanding with minimal effort, making Thinking in Java, Fourth Edition, the book for programmers of all levels.

"In addition to being one of the all-time best-selling Java books, Thinking in Java continues to receive the most extraordinary feedback from around the world," said Gregory Doench, Executive Editor, Prentice Hall PTR. "Programmers of all levels find that it delivers a terrific learning experience, and readers who have been eagerly awaiting the new edition will find even more of the clarity and insight that are the hallmarks of all of Bruce's books."

"I feel that this is the by far the best work that I have done to date, said Eckel. "Readers will find a lot of new material, annotations and enumerations. I've also rewritten all the existing material to make it clearer and to add new insights such as design patterns throughout the book. I've worked very hard to make it a book that will not only serve new readers, but will also serve the readers of any of the previous editions."

The book is available through major chain and independent booksellers worldwide and through online vendors at a suggested retail price of US $59.99

Author Bruce Eckel is president of MindView, Inc. which provides public and private training seminars, consulting, mentoring and design reviews in Object- Oriented technology and Design Patterns.