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Beyond Java Review by Scott Nelson
Food for thought
This book was a quick and enjoyable read. I think the premise is right on: Java is too complex and has become a hindrance to productivity.
I liked the conversational style of the book. The author makes some good arguments against Java, and provides alternatives. He attempts to make a strong case for Ruby. After reading the book, I will definitely give Ruby a look.
I have several problems with the book:
#1 It is highly repetitive. This is more noticeable because the book and its chapters are very short, so it can be read in one sitting. It doesn't feel like any research went into the book (aside from personal interviews) so the scope is only what the author is most familiar with (ie. he mentions Hibernate/Spring/Tapestry over and over again. He brings up static typing impeding productivity many times over the course of the book...obviously a personal gripe of his.)
#2 It is not an objective analysis. After reading the book, I believe the author to be a Ruby evangelist. In particular, I didn't appreciate a section where the author shows an example of how Ruby outperforms Java. He clarifies by saying the evidence is unscientific (the Java implementation was not tuned for performance.) Well if that is the case, then it doesn't belong in a technical book (from O'Reilly no less.)
The author suggests the possibility of fixing Java, but it strikes me as an obligatory mention. Beyond Java is this author's (well informed) opinion, no more no less. It did not convince me to throw out the Java baby with the bathwater. Nonetheless, it provided some interesting food for thought.