You know you do not want to reinvent the wheel (or worse, a flat tire), so you look to Design Patterns - the lessons learned by those who have faced the same problem. With Design Patterns, you can take advantage of best practices and experiences of others, so you can spend your time on ... You also want to learn how the pattern used in Java API, and how to exploit Java's built-in support for patterns in your own code. You want to learn OO design principles of real and why all your bosses tell you about inheritance might be wrong (and what to do instead). You want to learn how those principles will help the next time you are a river without a paddle design patterns. Most importantly, you want to learn the "secret language" Design Patterns so that you can hold its own with your co-worker (and impress cocktail party guests) when he casually mentions his stunning good use Command, Facade, Proxy, and Factory in between drinking little martini. With Head First Design Patterns, you'll avoid the embarrassment think decorators are a thing of the show "Trading Room". If you've read a Head First book, you know what to expect - a visually rich format designed for the way your brain works. Using the latest research in neurobiology, cognitive science, and learning theory, Head First Design Patterns will load patterns into your brain in ways that stick. In a way that makes you better at solving software design problems, and better spoken language patterns with others on your team.