Review of Sun Certified Enterprise Architect for J2EE Study Guide (Exam 310-051) (Paperback)

I bought this book despite the other poor reviews on amazon.I was hopeful that the other reviewers were just being too harsh.But after reading the first couple chapters, it became clear that the other reviewers were being charitable.This book is filled with errors and is poorly organized.
The worst error I've spotted is on p16.The book says that "The current version of the SCEA exam tests your knowledge of J2EE 1.3 API."In fact, at the time I'm writing this review, and certainly at the time they wrote the book, the current version of the exam is still testing the J2EE 1.2 API.That is pretty bad when the course authors don't even know which version of J2EE they should be writing about.It also would be quite detrimental and confusing to readers who would assume they should be studying topics that were added in the J2EE 1.3 version.
In many places, the book also does not seem to be well synched with the topics, approach, and vocabulary of the exam.Some chapters seemed almost irrelevant to the exam.
If you buy this book, you should only consider it a supplement to help give you a general idea of what you need to study.I would suggest doing most of your studying with other books or resources.

Product Description
The only classroom-based training and self-assessment system! This study guide provides 100% complete coverage of all objectives for the Sun Certified Architect for J2EE exam. Based on 300,000+ hours of IT training experience, the book contains hundreds of practice exam questions and hands-on exercises. The CD-ROM features full practice exam software with interactive tutorials and lab simulations, plus an adaptive test engine.

From the Back Cover

The Only Certification Study System Based on 300,000+ Hours of IT Training Experience

• 100% Complete Coverage--All official test objectives for the Enterprise Architect for J2EE exam are covered in detail
• Hands-on Exercises--Step-by-step instruction modeled after classroom labs
• Exam Watch--Warnings based on thorough post-exam research identifying the most troublesome exam topics and how to answer them correctly
• Simulated Exam Questions--Certification questions that closely model the format, tone, topics, and difficulty of the real exam--all with in-depth answers

Full coverage of the topics you need to review, including how to:

• Understand J2EE architecture and system requirements
• Provide access to legacy systems
• Use entity, stateful session, and stateless session beans appropriately
• Make use of bean pooling in an Enterprise JavaBeans container
• Identify firewall features that might interfere with protocol operation
• Use the Gamma et al. and other design patterns
• Enable synchronous and asynchronous messaging
• Customize applications for international deployment
• Apply J2EE security mechanisms to the design, implementation, and deployment of secure enterprise applications

INCLUDED ON THE CD-ROM:

CD Training

• Electronic book--Searchable version of the Study Guide

Master Exam

• Complete Practice Exam--Includes exclusive 310-051 certification exam simulation with questions found only on the CD-ROM
• Detailed Answers--Explain why the correct options are right and why the incorrect options are wrong
• Score Report--Provides overall assessment of performance and indicates subject areas requiring further study

PLUS:

(with free on-line registration)

• MasterExam--Additional SCEA J2EE certification exam simulation download

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