This book would have been better if it had been written by people who had the ability to be a bit more objective about these technologies. (The authors work for Sun, of course.) There is a large portion of the book devoted to repeated explanations about why the J2EE platform is the best available. There are a number of plugs for client-side Java programs (applets, etc.), which is a marginal technology in practical terms, despite its theoretical advantages. I just wanted more objective information and less marketing hype. That being said, the book does have some useful information. A better and more dispassionate look at the J2EE platform spec is "Java for the Web with Servlets, JSP, and EJB" published by New Riders.

The book is a high level overview of the application design with the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition. It may be helpful for someone who wants to know how different architectural choices and technologies fit together in an enterprise application.

It starts with an introduction to different enterprise application scenarios (Stand-Alone, Web-Centric, EJB-Centric, B2B, etc.), and then goes on discussing each of the architectural tiers in detail. In addition, in separate chapters it covers important issues like security, transaction management, internationalization, and localization.

As a rule, each chapter gives an overview of the involved technologies, considers most important issues, and provides some tips on design and proper usage. Available tools are also discussed. Each chapter is followed by a list of references and resources. Many resources have URLs.

The last chapter presents an architecture of the sample application. Unfortunately, quite a bit of space in this chapter is wasted reiterating general pros and cons of distributed and local architectures. My impression is that the author of this particular chapter (each chapter in the book is written by a different author or group of authors) assumes that the reader does not have any prior knowledge about the subject and have not read preceding chapters.

A few code samples in the entire book illustrate some points in the discussion; the code snippets are neither complete nor complex, and obviously are not written for reuse.

A must read for seasoned professionals and those new to the subject. Invaluable insights and guidelines are detailed at every tier of architecting a J2EE enterprise application. I found myself frequently relating to the examples and wishing I had read this book to help with earlier projects. This would have saved hours of re-factoring because the authors have already detailed solutions to common design problems.

If you are looking for code examples, don't look here. Code examples throughout the book are minimal; however this book is not about code examples, the purpose is to provide proven principles for architecting and developing J2EE applications. Instead, one chapter describes the design of the sample Java Pet Store application in regards to the books principles.

I now have a better understanding of the J2EE platform and how to apply its technologies. I will be referring back to this book often!

The tendency of this book to ridicule America (its history, its culture, its priorities, etc.) really calls into question the objectivity and political persuasion of its authors. Whether it's the destruction of the environment or world poverty, America and the American people are always to blame. We use too much energy; we don't share enough; blah blah blah. America does more to promote peace and economic development throughout the world than any other country. While the authors of this book don't seem to be so, I, for one, am PROUD to be an American

The general feel of this book is dark and dull. Graphics are oddly benign,upside, the Geography in Action sections offer realistic insight into Geographic concepts. Clawson and Fisher tried.

Family Nursing Practice was required reading for one of my Family Nurse Practitioner classes. Its interesing reading, but rather lightweight regarding useful material. The authors use frequent case studies and examples that are carried on throughout each chapter, which help to illustrate the important points and to hold the reader's attention.