That's right, the patterns in the appendix have 2 page mini-descriptions.
Keep in mind, this book is NOT a patterns catalog. It really is a learning book, and the idea is that you will learn how to understand and apply patterns.
Based on several discussions on this forum, I'm convinced we picked the right 14 to cover - they really are the most used. And once you've learned those and the OO principles, hopefully you'll have no problem understanding the others based on the other resources out there, if you find you need them.
Plus, we wanted to keep the book light enough that you could actually pick it up without straining your back
Elisabeth