Book excerpt: Java Programming: A Comprehensive Introduction is designed for an introductory programming course using Java. This text takes a logical approach to the presentation of core topics, moving step-by-step from the basics to more advanced material, with objects being introduced at the appropriate time. The book is divided into three parts: Part One covers the elements of the Java language and the fundamentals of programming. An introduction to object-oriented design is also included. Part Two introduces GUI (Graphical User Interface) programming using Swing. Part Three explores key aspects of Java's API (Application Programming Interface) library, including the Collections Framework and the concurrency API. Herb Schildt has written many successful programming books in Java, C++, C, and C#. His books have sold more than three million copies. Dale Skrien is a professor at Colby College with degrees from the University of Illinois-Champaign, the University of Washington, and St. Olaf College. He's also authored two books and is very active in SIGCSE.