Adopts a modern objects-first approach that introduces students to useful class hierarchies from the very beginning. Uses the packages designed by the ACM Java Task Force to simplify teaching introductory courses using Java. For more details, see http://jtf.acm.org. Engages students' interest by presenting graphical and interactive programs throughout the text. To emphasize the historical and intellectual context of computing, the book includes biographical sketches, quotations, and philosophical interludes. Maintains an emphasis on algorithm and problem solving that has so often been lost in today’s introduction textbooks. End-of-chapter features include a bulleted list of summary points, short-answer review questions, and an extensive collection of exercises.