Software

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Software

Design Patterns in Java. Steve Metsker and William C. Wake. Addison-Wesley, 2006.
I won't review my own book, but I will summarize:

This is a workbook-style book, updating Steve's earlier Design Patterns Java Workbook and Design Patterns in C#. It covers the same 23 patterns as Design Patterns, but adds some different perspective and a number of challenges to help you make sure you understand the patterns. It's targeted to intermediate programmers, though more advanced programmers who want to brush up on patterns might consider it also. (May, '06)

Agile Web Development with Rails. Dave Thomas, David Heinemeier Hansson, et al. Pragmatic Bookshelf, 2005.
Ruby on Rails is a framework for developing web sites. This book explains it well. It starts with a decent-sized online store as a running demo (more than 100 pages of text go along with it). I was able to implement along with little trouble (also using a handy copy of Programming Ruby). The rest of the book is an exploration of key areas: persistence, controllers, views, and more. It closes off with information on deployment and scaling, giving you a sense of the options you have in this crucial stage. All in all, an excellent introduction. (Reviewed May, '06)

Ant, The Definitive Guide, by Jesse Tilly & Eric M. Burke. O'Reilly, 2002. ISBN 0-596-00184-3.
This is a classic O'Reilly animal book showing - what else? - a horned lizard on the cover. But it's classic member of the series in another sense: it's a straightforward reference to the basics of its topic. I was working with NAnt, so there were a few quirks not covered, but it was easier to use this book in combination with NAnt's online material than to use the online material alone. Note that the book covers 1.4.x, not the current version. (Reviewed Aug., '04)

I link to Amazon.com as part of their associate program, but don't forget to check half.com and others, especially if you don't mind a used book.