Dean/Dean centers the student with fundamentals before leading them into the more difficult object-oriented approach. In addition to incorporating problem-solving techniques, the authors have added psuedocode throughout several chapters to make the book friendlier to students. Problems incorporate other disciplines, taking real-world situations from business, science, agriculture, and typical day-today activities, such as banking and retail. The authors have an extremely student-friendly writing style, bringing excitement to topics through active encouragement and approachable terminology.

Dean/Dean leads the reader on a journey into the fun and exciting world of computer programming. Throughout the journey, the authors provide lots of problem-solving practice. After all, good programmers need to be good problem solvers. The text will show how to implement problem solutions with Java programs. There will be a plethora of examples, some short and focused on a single concept, some longer and more "real-world". The material is in a conversational, easy-to-follow manner aimed at making the journey a pleasant one.