New to Java

Has anyone read the book Hardcore Java? I've read parts of it and it seem contradictory. In the first few pages it talks about constructing variables outside of loops to preventexcessive use of memory, then a few pages later it tells you to keep you code error free from errors caused by too large of scope that you should put it in the smallest level scope possible. The example was declairing and constructing a variable both inside a for loop then later in a while loop. Thats not the first thing either. It's talks and talks about preserving memory then drowns on about makeing everything immutable (so to change it you have to create a new object using more memory).

Don't get me wrong, it has some intresting and probably useful ideas but should I really finish reading it?