With pleasure I found out that Head First Design Patterns was in the bookstore I’m usually getting tech-books at (I like going to a store, buying the book and then immediately begin reading it – this is why I don’t order all books over the web). The book was hidden in the shelf full of UML-books where it should have been placed near the Java-books: It’s really Java-centric.
As I noted here, I really like the head first series and if you ask me, head first design patterns is the best so far which may be because the topic really, really interests me. Additionally, I so far found much less mistakes than in head first jsp (where there were quite some).
This new book of the series has something the others don’t: It has suspense. Always when one of the patterns is explained, I’m so much looking forward to learn what the next pattern will be and what the next example will be.
I’m not a theoretical guy, so it’s quite difficult to keep me reading when dry topics are to be explained. Not so with head first design patterns: They keep it interesting and they keep explaining by example (very good ones by the way). It’s really well done.
I’m now about in the middle of the book (the command pattern) and while I alreay knew some things, I was able to learn a good deal of new stuff (and the correct terminlogoy to use) and interestingly, it’s sticking in my brain. I can remember every single important thing (the rocket-powered rubber-duck, for example. Btw: Rubber-ducks do fly indeed: Just throw it out of the window and they fly – in one direction only, but they do fly. The fly()-method would have had to be overriden by many ducks anyways, but I agree, the strategy-pattern is the better solution).
Even if you are not interested in design-patterns: Go and get this book. Even during reading the very first chapter you’ll soon get interested and by the middle of the book you long for every second of free time to continue going on reading just to learn what the next pattern may be and what example may be used to explain it.
Incredibly great stuff.
gnegg 