I bought the 2nd edition of Thinking in Java/Thinking in C++. When I took out the CD-Rom, the name on the CD-ROM is "Thinking is C" and it contains nothing about Java/C++. Shouldn't the CD be about C++ or Java?

We really did mean to put Thinking in C in those books. Look at the artwork on the CD, and you'll see it matches the cover of the respective book. Also see the back cover of the book, which specifically describes the Thinking in C CD. On page 19 of Thinking in Java, 2nd Edition and page 15 of Thinking in C++, 2nd Edition, Volume 1 you'll find more thorough descriptions of the CD.

Both books were designed for people who understand the syntax of the C language. We found that many people came to the books and/or the seminars with the attitude that they didn't want to learn C, but rather C++ or Java, without knowing that the C language contains the fundamental syntax for both C++ and Java. Thus, they were unprepared for the book or seminar. The reason that the "Thinking in C" CD was created was to help these people gain just enough of the fundamentals of C so they could move on to the C++ or Java covered in the books or seminars.

Thinking in C (foundations for Java & C++) is a seminar-on-CD, with approximately 8 hours of lectures and slides along with exercises, to bring you up to speed on C if you don't already understand the syntax well enough to move into Thinking in Java or Thinking in C++. When you go through it I think you'll realize that it's unlike most any CD you've seen packaged in the back of a book.

The CD also includes the electronic versions of Thinking in Java, 2nd edition and Thinking in C++, 2nd edition, volume one, along with source code - look for TIJsource.zip and TIC2Vone-code.zip, respectively. Please note that most CDs packaged with books only contain the source code for the book. On this CD, you're getting the source code for both books as well as the electronic text for both books, and a seminar-on-CD, for effectively no added price for the book. If you still think this is a bad deal, I'm sorry. This is the only book that I know of that contains a seminar-on-CD.

Originally the books had no CD, and when I decided to include the CD with the books I wanted to make sure that the publisher didn't increase the price for the inclusion of the CD. Thus, you're effectively getting this seminar-on-CD for free when you purchase the book. In addition, you get a preview of what our other seminars-on-CD are like, in case you like the way that they work and want to purchase another one (currently, Hands-On Java is the only CD available, but we're working on others).

Originally, MindView sold Thinking in C as a separate product (a seminar-on-CD - there has never been a "Thinking in C" book), but now the only way to get the CD is to purchase a book (we were selling the CD for more than what it now costs to get the book and the CD together, so this is a distinctly better deal).