I had a couple of Borders coupons to burn, so I spent Friday afternoon checking out books. Rarely do I read a whole first chapter of a book before deciding to buy it. When I picked up Bitter Java, I was into the second chapter before I realized it. If you haven’t seen this book, check it out.

When you have intermediate to advanced skill in one application development platform, switching to another one can be frustrating. Many books exist for both the novice and the guru, but few exist for the “yeah, I have the separation of concerns thing down, so how is it done in this environment?” type of individual.

Enter Bitter Java. The book has been around for a couple of years. The follow-up title, Bitter EJB, has been a huge success. Bitter Java starts with a poorly-authored BBS app and walks through refactoring the solution, using the app as a case study for antipatterns. I would think that even Java developers with a few years under their belt could stand to benefit from the book. Bruce’s interspersing of outdoor adventure excerpts also make the volume an even better read.