diff --git a/chapter21/.DS_Store b/chapter21/.DS_Store
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b94c0ea
Binary files /dev/null and b/chapter21/.DS_Store differ
diff --git a/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Assignment1.java b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Assignment1.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a6e92d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Assignment1.java
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package com.packt.java.references;
+
+import java.util.WeakHashMap;
+
+public class Assignment1 {
+    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
+        Student harry = new Student("Harry");
+        Student jenny = new Student("Jenny");
+
+        WeakHashMap<Student, Result> testResults =
+                new WeakHashMap<>();
+
+        testResults.put(harry, new Result(harry, 23));
+        testResults.put(jenny, new Result(jenny, 25));
+
+        System.out.println("Test results: " + testResults.size());
+
+        // HARRY is dereferenced
+        harry = null;
+        System.gc();
+
+        Thread.sleep(5000);
+
+        System.out.println("Test results: " + testResults.size());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Assignment2.java b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Assignment2.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dae3026
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Assignment2.java
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package com.packt.java.references;
+
+import java.lang.ref.ReferenceQueue;
+import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
+
+public class Assignment2 {
+    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
+        ShoppingCart cart1 = new ShoppingCart();
+        ShoppingCart cart2 = new ShoppingCart();
+        ShoppingCart cart3 = new ShoppingCart();
+
+        ReferenceQueue<ShoppingCart> referenceQueue = new ReferenceQueue<>();
+
+        WeakReference<ShoppingCart> weakReference1 =
+                new WeakReference<>(cart1, referenceQueue);
+        WeakReference<ShoppingCart> weakReference2 =
+                new WeakReference<>(cart2, referenceQueue);
+        WeakReference<ShoppingCart> weakReference3 =
+                new WeakReference<>(cart3, referenceQueue);
+
+        countReferenceQueue(referenceQueue);
+
+        cart1 = null;
+        cart2 = null;
+        cart3 = null;
+
+        System.gc();
+
+        Thread.sleep(100);
+
+        countReferenceQueue(referenceQueue);
+    }
+
+    private static void countReferenceQueue(ReferenceQueue<ShoppingCart> referenceQueue) {
+        int count = 0;
+        while (referenceQueue.poll() != null) {
+            count++;
+        }
+
+        System.out.println("There were " + count + " items in the queue");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Exercise1.java b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Exercise1.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7a89cb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Exercise1.java
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+package com.packt.java.references;
+
+import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
+
+public class Exercise1 {
+
+    public static void main(String[] args) {
+        MyObject myObject = new MyObject();
+        System.out.println(myObject);
+
+        WeakReference<MyObject> weakReference = new WeakReference<>(myObject);
+        MyObject myObject2 = weakReference.get();
+        System.out.println(myObject2);
+
+        myObject = null;
+        myObject2 = null;
+
+        System.gc();
+
+        MyObject myObject3 = weakReference.get();
+        System.out.println(myObject3);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Exercise2.java b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Exercise2.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..226f5a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Exercise2.java
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package com.packt.java.references;
+
+import java.util.WeakHashMap;
+
+public class Exercise2 {
+    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
+        Student harry = new Student("Harry");
+        Student jenny = new Student("Jenny");
+
+        WeakHashMap<Student, Integer> testResults =
+                new WeakHashMap<>();
+
+        testResults.put(harry, 23);
+        testResults.put(jenny, 25);
+
+        System.out.println("Test results: " + testResults.size());
+
+        // HARRY is dereferenced
+        harry = null;
+        System.gc();
+
+        Thread.sleep(500);
+
+        System.out.println("Test results: " + testResults.size());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Exercise3.java b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Exercise3.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..87b877b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Exercise3.java
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+package com.packt.java.references;
+
+import java.lang.ref.ReferenceQueue;
+import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
+
+public class Exercise3 {
+    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
+        ShoppingCart shoppingCart = new ShoppingCart();
+
+        ReferenceQueue<ShoppingCart> referenceQueue = new ReferenceQueue<>();
+
+        WeakReference<ShoppingCart> weakReference =
+                new WeakReference<>(shoppingCart, referenceQueue);
+
+        System.out.println(String.format("ShoppingCart has %sbeen cleared.",
+                (referenceQueue.poll() == null ? "not " : "")));
+
+        shoppingCart = null;
+
+        System.gc();
+
+        Thread.sleep(500);
+
+        System.out.println(String.format("ShoppingCart has %sbeen cleared.",
+                (referenceQueue.poll() == null ? "not " : "")));
+
+        System.out.println(String.format("ShoppingCart reference %sexist",
+                (weakReference.get() == null ? "does not " : "")));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Exercise4.java b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Exercise4.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e55a156
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Exercise4.java
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+package com.packt.java.references;
+
+import java.lang.ref.SoftReference;
+
+public class Exercise4 {
+    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
+        ShoppingCart shoppingCart = new ShoppingCart();
+
+        SoftReference<ShoppingCart> softReference = new SoftReference<>(shoppingCart);
+
+        checkSoftReference(softReference);
+
+        shoppingCart = null;
+
+        System.gc();
+
+        Thread.sleep(5000);
+
+        checkSoftReference(softReference);
+
+        ShoppingCart rescuedCart = softReference.get();
+    }
+
+    private static void checkSoftReference(SoftReference<ShoppingCart> softReference) {
+        ShoppingCart shoppingCart = softReference.get();
+        System.out.println(String.format("ShoppingCart was %scleared.",
+                (shoppingCart == null ? "" : "not ")));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/MyObject.java b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/MyObject.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5cff369
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/MyObject.java
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+package com.packt.java.references;
+
+public class MyObject {
+    @Override
+    protected void finalize() throws Throwable {
+        super.finalize();
+        System.out.println("Finalize called.");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Result.java b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Result.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d884093
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Result.java
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package com.packt.java.references;
+
+public class Result {
+    private Student student;
+    private Integer score;
+
+    public Result(Student student, Integer score) {
+        this.student = student;
+        this.score = score;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/ShoppingCart.java b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/ShoppingCart.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cec6206
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/ShoppingCart.java
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+package com.packt.java.references;
+
+public class ShoppingCart {
+    @Override
+    protected void finalize() throws Throwable {
+        super.finalize();
+        System.out.println("Finalized");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Student.java b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Student.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..32aee84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chapter21/src/com/packt/java/references/Student.java
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+package com.packt.java.references;
+
+public class Student {
+    private String name;
+
+    public Student(String name) {
+        this.name = name;
+    }
+}