Anyone can read the GoF book to learn what design patterns are and how to use them, but what is the process for figuring out when a design pattern solves a problem? Does the knowledge of the pattern drive the design, or is there a way to figure out how a pattern can be used to change a design?
In other words, are there patterns for Patterns?
I agree that just learning the patterns is not enough. The problem with most books is that they do not provide real-world examples. I've heard that Head First Design Patterns, as some suggested earlier, is a good one.
Another thing is that most books are intentionally not language-specific, which may be both a good or a bad thing for you. However important is to understand a pattern in general, it is equally important to know how to implement it well. I've come across a book called C# 3.0 Design Patterns which devotes just about equal ink to both of these unseparable aspects.