If there’s one subject that needs to be taught better, needs to be more fun to learn, it’s design patterns. Thank goodness for Head First Design Patterns.

From the awesome Head First Java folks, this book uses every conceivable trick to help you understand and remember. Not just loads of pictures: pictures of humans, which tend to interest other humans. Surprises everywhere. Stories, because humans love narrative. (Stories about things like pizza and chocolate. Need we say more?) Plus, it’s darned funny.

It also covers an enormous swath of concepts and techniques, including nearly all the patterns you’ll use most (observer, decorator, factory, singleton, command, adapter, faзade, template method, iterator, composite, state, proxy). Read it, and those won’t be “just words”: they’ll be memories that tickle you, and tools you own.