Ground-Up Java 
Philip Heller
Sybex
This is the first effective Java book for true beginners. Sure, books before now focused on basic concepts and key techniques, and some even provided working examples on CD. Still, they lacked the power to transform someone with no programming experience into someone who sees, who really "gets it.Working with Ground-Up Java, you will definitely get it. This is due to the clarity of Phil Heller's explanations, and the smoothly flowing organization of his instruction. He's one of the best Java trainers around.But what's really revolutionary are his more than 30 animated illustrations. Each of these small programs, visual and interactive in nature, vividly demonstrates how its source code works. You can modify it in different ways, distinctly altering the behavior of the program. As you experiment with these tools-and you can play with them for hours-you'll gain both the skills and the fundamental understanding needed to complete each chapter's exercises, which steadily increase in sophistication. No other beginning Java book can take you so far, so quickly, and none will be half as much fun.