Our look is the result of reader comments, our own experimentation, and feedback from distribution channels. Distinctive covers complement our distinctive approach to technical topics, breathing personality and life into potentially dry subjects. The animal on the cover of Building Java Enterprise Applications Volume I: Architecture is a kangaroo rat. There are about 20 species of kangaroo rat (genus Dipodomys, family Heteromyidae) found in western North America. Some of these species are endangered. These small mammals are equipped with long, narrow feet that enable them to get about with long, strong hops. They can travel as far as two meters per hop. Their tufted tails, which are approximately as long as their bodies, are used as rudders. The forearms of kangaroo rats are so short that they often disappear within their fur. Most kangaroo rats have a color similar to the sand or soil of their environment, with black or white facial markings and two stripes running down the back. Albino kangaroo rats do occasionally appear. Like all of their relatives in the Heteromyidae family, kangaroo rats have large, fur-lined pouches in their cheeks into which they stuff food to carry back to their nests. They eat grass, plant greenery, and seeds. It is not uncommon to find evidence of a visit by a kangaroo rat in vegetable gardens. Remarkably, they are able to obtain all the water they need from the food that they eat. Kangaroo rats are able to live their entire lives without ever drinking water.

Kangaroo rats are nocturnal animals. They tend to be antisocial and belligerent. Kangaroo rat fights frequently occur. During these fights they jump in the air and kick at each other with their powerful legs. Kicking, in this case kicking sand, also comes in handy when cornered by enemies such as rattlesnakes or coyotes. While the enemy has sand in its eyes, the kangaroo rat makes his hopping getaway.

Kangaroo rats build their subterranean nests beneath small bushes or trees. They line the nests with leaves or grass, and build in numerous tunnels and escape outlets. Emily Quill was the production editor and copyeditor for Building Java Enterprise Applications Volume I: Architecture. Jane Ellin was the proofreader, and Catherine Morris provided quality control. Sue Willing and Philip Dangler provided production assistance. Joe Wizda wrote the index.

Hanna Dyer designed the cover of this book, based on a series design by Edie Freedman. The cover image is a 19th-century engraving from the Dover Pictorial Archive. Emma Colby produced the cover layout with QuarkXPress 4.1 using Adobe's ITC Garamond font.

Melanie Wang designed the interior layout, based on a series design by David Futato. Neil Walls converted the files from Microsoft Word to FrameMaker 5.5.6 using tools created by Mike Sierra. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont's TheSans Mono Condensed. The illustrations that appear in the book were produced by Robert Romano and Jessamyn Read using Macromedia FreeHand 9 and Adobe Photoshop 6. The tip and warning icons were drawn by Christopher Bing. This colophon was written by Clairemarie Fisher O'Leary.