I have read both the exam prep and exam cram for the first four MCSE tests. I admit I could have probably passed with only the Cram series. HOWEVER!!! Those slamming this and all the Prep books appear to be all newbes. When they start working on actual networks they will wish that they took a bit more time to study! MOREOVER, The Prep series is what you may want to keep for reference, yes you will forget some stuff! I agree that the book is a bit larger (and somewhat boring) to read than the cram book however, passing the test (when you know the questions) and true knowledge of the subject matter are two totally different issues. I have passed very high on all the first 4 MCSE tests but more important I have been able to apply what I have learned to our very large Wide area Networks. If you don't want to spend the time to really learn the subject material please don't bother going for the MCSE, you will merely be an embarrassment to the certification and make what others have worked hard for less valuable. Remember, it is easier to study now than it is when the network is down and hundreds of people are calling you asking What's wrong with the server??!!! I can't logon!!

So, in summary. If you have other training materials, going to class or have videos etc, you may only need the Cram Books, otherwise I recommend both Cram and Prep.

Most people who want to lay in bed and read their texts will not enjoy this book. However, if you are in classroom instruction or you are in an area of your career where you can apply this text you will benefit greatly. I myself, almost didn't buy this book because of what others "opinions" were, after reading it and testing with a 966, i bought the whole core four set, even having already taken tests on 2 of the books. These are an invaluable reference for those willing to put the effort into learning and not skimming it for practice test answers.

I almost did not get this book because of the reviews, usually they are right on, but not in this case. While I also have other study guides, this is the one I keep coming to for reference, the way these books are laid out, highlighting the need to know material, the info for the most part (99%) is right on, (every study guide has little mistakes) its very in depth, and explains in a way that that even a newbee can grasp, I passed easy with the help of this book. Thank you Certification Press.

I agree, this book is written like a dictionary that has been copied and adapted from other dictionaries! It is extremely dull and of very little value. The questions at the end of the chapter are ambiguous and obscure at best. This book has aided in putting me right off Windows 2000 server, in fact I think I'm going to go over to Linux ;-)

I received this book as a text for a class I am taking. I have been working with Windows operating systems for quite a long time and was surprized and amazed at the horrendous quality of this book. I have read quite a few books by this publisher that were clear, concise and valuable sources of information. After getting to chapter three in this book, I was very surprised with the quality of this product. MSPress and Sybex do a much better job with Windows 2000.

Can I rate this book with "negative 0" stars. The publisher hires writers and not IT professionals to write their books. This book is so full of errors I could not even use it. This book will do nothing but confuse you. I judge a book by how accurate the content is inside. This author obviously knows absolutely nothing about Windows 2000. It seems to me that he copied from a bunch of notes that he compiled from the internet or someting. My sincere advice, stick to Sybex. They are the real IT book folks. Their books are accurate and won't let you down.

Palmer, Palmer, Palmer! How's the weather in La-La Land? When I read your work I was excited because the subject seemed to be original and it was a study that somebody needed to undertake. What I read was a substandard attempt to defame Robert E. Lee at the cost of logic, any basic understanding of what happened from 1861-1865, or a grasp of the discipline of writing history. In short, this book is a farce. I'll end with a plea for someone to write a full-length and competent history of Bristoe Station.

Having read several books on Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia, and having a very high opinion of General Lee, I decided I should try and be objective by reading some books that were critical of General Lee. But I was very disappointed in Palmer's work. I was hoping to read some well researched criticism. What I got was a joke. Most of Palmer's arguments have serious flaws to them, any some don't make any sence at all. Don't waste your time with this one.

Understanding the military campaigns of the numerically weaker side is one of the more challenging issue in history. Unfortunately, Mr Palmer displays a thorough lack of historical perspective in this very weak presentation.

Palmer's protrait of Robert E Lee as lacking all the necessary mental capacities when it comes to undertaking offensive warfare is completely devoid of historical understanding of the campaigns involving generals such as Hannibal, Caesar, Frederick the Great, Napoleon and many others who commanded numerically inferior armies. And of course, Palmer offers absolutely no supporting evidence to prop up his claims because in this book the outcome of the campaign is proof enough.

I agree with another reviewer here that this piece is very agenda-driven, simply because of the thin presentation, no supporting evidence, which could only come from a lack of understanding of the campaigns involving the Great Captains.

I love baseball. I love to read about a players stats while playing AAA ball, or who led the majors in stolen bases in 1933 (27-Ben Chapman, Yankees)or how many times Ty Cobb won the batting title (12). I don't consider myself a serious student of baseball, but in my leisure time, what there is of it, I enjoy reading about the history of the game and read the stats for myself. I remember Carl Yastrzemski won the triple-crown in 1967. I go back to that year and discover that not only did he lead the AL in average, home runs and RBI (.326, 44, and 121), but that he also led in base hits (189), slugging percentage (.622) and runs scored (112). I guess that would make him a double-triple-crown winner. By the way, Harmon Killebrew was tied with Yaz for home runs.

The 1997 Baseball Almanac arrived at my house last week and I was disappointed. This edition is much smaller than the first one I bought in 1993, although the price is about the same. Its more difficult to read and more cumbersome for someone who just wants to browse. It still has all the same categories of stats, but its not quite as fun to flip through. I may not use it as much as my old one. When the 1999 version comes out, I want to be sure to get the full size edition.

I felt the book touched on the basics but never really gave me anything to start my own business. Many of the pages were filled with large photograhphs instead of in-depth knowledge. I was hoping for a book that would tell it all so that I could go out and begin a faux painting business...with confidence. Not impressed.

This book would be more aptly named "A History of Microsoft Operating Systems: The Basics". As with another reviewer, I had to have this book for a course I took. There is little discussion of universal operating system fundamentals outside of file systems. The vast majority of the book focuses on MS operating systems. They spend more time talking about Windows 3.1 than Mac or UNIX. You want a book to help in troubleshooting or solving problems with operating systems? Unless you're a computer system neophyte this book won't help you. On the other hand, if you know little about operating systems and would like to learn the basics of how they work and the evolution of PC OSs, this would be a useful book.

The book tries to touch on a broad range of operating systems, but is not laid out very well, and alot of information contained is very broad.

While some of the information is valuable, alot of it can easily be discovered through the help files/manuals of the OS'es, or by using common sense. The diagnostic and troubleshooting aspects are mostly based on trivial common sense, and the troubleshooting software is limited to what comes with the OS (scandisk, defrag, regclean). The technology is a little behind in this book within regards to OS'es.

My recommendation is, unless you are taking a required course for college and need this book, dont buy it. Look for a book that's more focused on a certain OS (Windows, MacOS, Unix). Save your money.

This book is 'ok' for reference, but that's it.

I normally have been using the Exam Cram books to study for the Microsoft TCP/IP and Windows NT 4.0 certification tests. Using the Exam Cram books I was able to pass both tests with flying colors. I decided to deviate from the Exam Cram books and try the Exam Prep book for the NT Server test and did not pass the test. The book is informative for someone who has minimal experience. But you need more on target information to prepare you for the actual tests the way the Exam Cram books do.

I am a MCSE who looked at this book for use when studying for my tests. Now, a networking class is using this as a manual and I have to say something. This book does not cover the material well enough to take the tests nor in depth enough to actually do Enterprise networking with NT.

A friend of mine once dreaded the arrival of any new book of poetry, because it would require learning an entirely new set of allusions and references before the poetry would make any sense. I know how she feels. Michael Palmer's "Sun" is a collection of poems full of obscure references to Stein, Derrida, Vallejo, and other high culture icons. Reading poetry really shouldn't be like consulting one's encyclopedia; even though I recognized most of Palmer's references, I enjoyed none of his poems. There are no sharp images that remain in the mind; there are no flashes of insight into human nature that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I was just exhausted after reading this collection, and not the good exhaustion one feels after reading Ezra Pound or T.S. Eliot. To quote Gertrude Stein, "There's no there, there."