Rating  - Theory AND Practicality!
I flipped through this book to get a feel for how it will differ from other design patterns works. I immediately realized that the authors are taking a very accessible approach to teaching readers about patterns.
On an individual basis, the text is very accessible. It is written in an easy-to-read style. Instead of avoiding technical jargon, the text improves understanding and retention by coupling technical terms with humorous anecdotes and quips. This approach gives the feeling that design patterns are within reach (and they are) of even readers new to the concepts. It also serves as a built-in mnemonic tool.
The structure of pattern delivery seems to be intentional as well. In the rare case where a pattern is referenced without yet being described, it is almost always in the context of how the current pattern will prove useful in other scenarios. As such, the reader never feels lost. In fact, quite the opposite affect occurs. Readers should feel like they are following a logical approach to learning patterns.
Although it may seem, from the above comments, that the book is elementary, I assure you that even seasoned developers will find the book useful. Even if you know the material extremely well, you may find that the authors' descriptions are useful when teaching junior developers on your teams.
The book layout, like the rest of the book, is broad-reaching. Obviously, it is an instructional work. More than that, however, the book is also a teaching tool. It can easily be adapted by educators and trainers for classroom-style and one-on-one teaching. The book also serves as a workbook. There are exercises and notes pages throughout each chapter. Finally, the book serves me as a reference work as well. If I remember the gist of a pattern but not the specifics, it is easy to find examples and canonical references.
I absolutely love this style. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn patterns, refresh their existing patterns knowledge, or just take in a proverbial "breath of fresh air" to the stiff writing style of other books covering complex topics. I also feel that any of the "Head First" books are worth consideration. They provide accessible formats that promote learning.
I have to close this review by concurring with the authors in their note to the "Gang of Four". Seriously, when are we going to see another book? :)
Rating  - A good choice
If you are working, if you don't have too much time to invert in learning, or if you feel that leraning something new is very difficult for you, then this book may help you. When i started reading it, the book traped me, and all that stuff (that the book does) to keep your atention focused works.
The book says on the first pages that there will be repeated things, with the purpose of helping you to GET the concepts, and not forGET them later. Besides that trick, there are other aids and ideas to achieve that (text written very near -or inside- images, exercises and more).
Rating - Exceptional good book
This is the first ever technical book I could not stop reading as much as I can...
Rating - Design patterns
If you want a book to learn design patterns without falling asleep while doing it, this is the book. It allows you to learn design patterns and then go to other more "textbook" resources for a deeper understanding.
Some buyers might be turned off to the book because all the code snippets are in Java. I am not a big Java user, more C++, but I found the code snippets in the book easy enough to follow.
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