Errata for "Holub on Patterns"

Months ago, I was looking for a book on Design Patterns. I already own the great classic GoF and a few more, but I was looking for a more practical, real-world exposition of the classic Patterns. I wanted a book I could recommend to new developers, so they could really learn how to apply the concepts.

I came across Holub On Patterns. I liked it, but I was disappointed with the editorial quality of the book.

I found a long list of errors. Some of them are minor, but still may confuse readers, specially those new to the topic.

I sent the errors to APress via the web form they supply for sending errata, but I got no reply back --not even a "thanks" note. Then I contacted Allen Holub himself via email, and after getting around his spam filter, I got a short polite reply saying that he would include all corrections for the next print.

Despite the editorial problems, I still recommend the book.

In the first chapters, the author gives his take on some commonly misunderstood concepts about object-orientation. The rest explains Design Patterns by examining the design and Java code of two realistic projects. He also references several other real world uses of the patterns, many in the standard Java libraries.

Allen presents some interesting ideas. For instance, his analysis around the Observer Pattern --and a clever implementation of it-- is a gem in itself.

Hopefully, all those errors are corrected on newly released copies.

(Hmm... I'm thinking I might enjoy working as a part-time proof reader!)