[tuco91]

I agree that learning Smalltalk is the best way to learn OOP. But you should be careful with design patterns, design patterns are not a tool that you just use, they arise naturally in an OO model, and you should know them well to recognize them. Besides, several of the design patterns from the GoF are not necessary in a language with closures.

I strongly recommend three books:

Smalltalk, Objects, and Design - by Chamond Liu

Object Thinking, by David West

Object Design: Roles, Responsibilities, and Collaborations by Rebecca Wirfs-Brock

[qwertyuiop924]

No. Design patterns are just idioms, ways of accomplishing something. They aren't enshrined in any way by OO.

As for the idea of a set of common patterns that can be reused in a variety of situations, yes, that's a natural consequence of OO. But that's a natural consequence of any paradigm. OO's just had better marketing and GoF gave them a name.