Understanding design patterns is a difficult task because the patterns are abstract and there can be so many incarnations. I have been careful about my purchases of reference books, and I consider all these here essential reading.

Design Patterns

• Software Architecture Design Patterns in Java by Partha Kuchana
  All books should strive to be this thorough. Excellent, thorough examples and many advanced patterns. Far better than the J2EE Core Patterns book, but not as well known. Buy it!.

• Holub on Patterns: Learning Design Patterns by Looking at Code by Allen Holub
  Holub on Patterns is also available at www.holub.com (be sure to check out his useful UML Quick Reference.) I can't say enough about Holub's good ideas, sound approaches, and his practice of continuing to lead by example.

• Core J2EE Patterns: Best Practices and Design Strategies , Second Edition by Deepak Alur, Dan Malks, John Crupi - an excellent book. The only downfall is that many of the sample solutions leave out information so that there are gaps that can often be the most troublesome parts, e.g. look at the DAO implementation suggestions.

• Refactoring to Patterns by Joshua Kerievsky
  Excellent! A much neglected practice in virtually all businesses. As Holub says, unnecessary complexity never helps!

• Applying UML and Patterns: An Introduction to Object-Oriented Analysis and Design and the Unified Process (2nd Edition) by Craig Larman
  This book shows how the architect's and the business person's perspectives should be combined.
  

• Design Patterns Explained is valuable in that it directly approaches evaluating the use of patterns.

• Head First Design Patterns is a cute book with some good ideas nonetheless.

• Applied Java Patterns is the official Sun book, and it does not disappoint.

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