Required:
Walter Savitch, Absolute Java, Second Edition, 2005, Prentice-Hall CD RECOMMENDED!

You are expected to have and READ this book. Homeworks may require that you have access to the CD.

Recommended:
Paul Anderson, Just Enough Unix, 4th Edition, McGraw Hill
Peek, Learning the Unix Operating System, 5th Edition, O'Reilly
Donald Scarl, How to Solve Problems for Success in Freshman Physics Engineering and Beyond, 6th Edition, Dosoris Press

Do I need the recommended books?

Maybe. You don't need all of them.

This course requires you to learn the basics of the UNIX operating system. Do you need a book to do this? It depends on you. Many of us are used to learning from books, and so a book may help. I recommended two: O'Reilly is shorter and more terse. The McGraw Hill book has more explanation and may be "easier" to read. It wouldn't make much sense to get both of them.

You can also find a great deal in the way of tutorial and explanation about UNIX on the web. Try googling "UNIX tutorial". The first hit is quite good. You may find a number of sites that are geared to explaining a particular system (like Idaho State University).

UCSD's ACS (Academic Computing Services) Department also has materials to help you out. You should visit their page. For UNIX help, click on "Resources for: Students". Then under "Computing Labs and Servers" you can find help on getting started in UNIX.

I recommend the "How to Solve Problems" book, because it is a GREAT read! While most of the book is, in fact, about how to solve physics problems, chapters 1 and 2 are about problem solving and school in particular. You may find this book helpful for physics classes in particular, but the general advice is useful, period.