Welcome Ian!
I'm a Big Fan of your Cookbook, so here's my chance to tell you that my response to the commonly-asked question, "You're stranded on a desert island with your solar-powered laptop, and you can have only one Java book with you. Which is it?" is always your Java Cookbook. The online API docs and your book can go a very long way. I've known a lot of other Java folks who agree. Your book is appropriate for both fairly new Java programmers as well as very experienced Java developers. Sure, I know how to look things up and figure things out... but don't I have *better* things to do when your book is going to save me a LOT of pain and effort? Now, one could argue that if most of the Java API was completely and naturally intuitive (and fabulously documented), perhaps your book would be a little less crucial, but, well, we all know that's just not the case
So, thanks for your terrific book! It's a wonderful combination of VERY helpful and useful info and in a style that makes it easy to get what you need and even learn from. Not all the O'Reilly cookbooks are written with the same usable style that you have... some have excellent and helpful recipes, but they lack the friendliness and extra information that makes it a good experience. You've saved *my* butt more than a few times!
cheers,
Kathy Sierra
