Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book. Gives a step by step approach to OOD.
Review: This is the best book I have read by far on OO design. The author covers several of the patterns in the GoF Design Patterns book, and gives an in depth insight into how to use them.If you are like me and find yourself saying: "I understand inheritance, polymorphism, and java syntax, but how do I put all of these things together to achieve flexible design and reusability??", this book is definitely for you. This author gives a clear, step by step approach to teach you how to identify objects within specifications (use cases), shows you how to identify their collaborations, and shows you how to structure the objects through UML. He shows you what good design is and how to avoid bad design. Throughout the book, he describes where and when to use Java concepts such as inheritance, and where and when NOT to use them. The book is complete with examples, diagrams, and code. I would highly recommend this book for intermediate and expert levels.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book on Java Design and OO Design in general
Review: Very enlightening! Even though a little bit short, this book is one of the best java design books I have ever read. In its some 240 pages, the author covers all the critical aspects in designing Java applications. The author uses great examples to reveal the subtlety in OO design, and provide insightful explanations to the OO principles used behind the design decisions. I'd highly recommend this book to every developer or designer who takes his/her design skills to the next level.
Rating: 
Summary: If you CAN read it's a good book...
Review: Whilst not perfect (an it is a bit wordy), this is a good overview of a difficult topic which is too often overlooked by other books. It isn't as trendy as XP (which this book mentions in passing) or future-perfect at AOP but the use of UML with a robust process for developing applications such as that espoused by this book will keep you out of a whole lot of trouble. Where this book goes wrong, in my opinion, is the overcomplication in the terminology used. The processes described are fairly simple in themselves - it's just the way they're explained which isn't. In short, a good technical editor would've helped this book immensely. If you're interested in a simpler (but less process oriented solution), try Enterprise Java with UML by CT Arrington which is, so far the best book on this subject.
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