I took the exam 70-029 today. It is the toughtest Microsoft exam I have ever taken. (I have passed three MCP exams). This book-in fact- no book covers the depth of knowledge required to pass the exam. This book touches the subjects briefly only, a very shallow coverage. To pass the exam, you need to buy 'Inside Sql Server 7.0', 'Handbook of Relational Database Design by Candance Fleming & Barbara von Halle,' and this book or Microsoft Training guide.Don't just skim through the pages, have a thorough understanding of the concepts.

This book touches on all the 70-29 guideline requirements in a very organized fashion. The layout of the book was excellent, including objective explanations, section outlines, study strategies, fast facts, and helpful exam taking tips. Unfortunately, not all topics were covered in the depth really required to pass 70-29 (with exception of the 'Database Design' section, which was great).

I found the training guide CD that accompanied this book to be an essential resource. Although the questions are not quite as difficult as the ones you'll encounter on 70-29, you will certainly become more comfortable with the testing interface and generally more aware of the scope of each testing section. You can select from exam simulations, study cards, and flash cards to help tailor to your own personal study needs.

As others have already mentioned, 70-29 cannot be passed by studying a single material. This book does cover alot of the material, but should not be considered your prime study material. I would recommend the MicrosoftPress "SQL Server 7.0 Database Implementation Training Kit" to obtain your balk of 70-29 knowledge. Researching SQL 7.0 white papers is helpful as well.

I definitely agree with the previous reviewer on at least two counts -- #70-029 is possibly the hardest MS exam yet AND this book - and probably any single other book - will not totally prepare you to pass the exam. I passed using this book, the MS training kit, a fair amount of studying (hands on with the product + books online) and only a few months of SQL Server 6.5/7 experience.

However, this book does do a very good job of covering the topics from the MS exam prep guideline in as much detail as can be expected in a test prep book. The book also then cites other resources such as Books Online where additional information may be found. Don't take that advice lightly - you will need additional information on all subjects.

Like studying for most exams, it is best to use this book in combination with at least one more. This one was the first exam 70-029 prep guide out, but I dare say that there may not be a better one even when they are all out. The sample exams and other study aids are good at helping you learn the concepts, even if they are far more simple than the actual exam questions. The book/CD definitely is worth the $.

Having just read this book, I longed for it to have been written by her uncle Don Roberto, as the Sicilian people fondly called him. I don't believe Ms. Phelps has such a fond nickname for herself by the Sicilians, because her book clearly shows her disdain for these people. I was born in Sicily and am married to an English man, so I looked forward to this book, I was so appalled at Ms. Phelps' Anglocentric and haughty descriptions of the Sicilian people. She never learned anything from them, and remained a little provincial woman, even though her guests were wordly, and she travelled a bit when she was younger. Surely in her fifty years there she saw a beautiful woman who was sicilian with dark skin and dark eyes, I certainly never heard her once say so in her book, the only beauties were fair skinned and fair haired. It is a pity, that the outside world will learn so little of the true Sicilians from this book, how very generous and giving they really are, which Ms. Phelps mentions every so often, they gave her everthing, what did she ever give them I wonder?

Sincerely,

Antonina LiCastri-Boocock

A friend gave me the book as I was planning to vacation in Sicily...what a delight! The Sicilians come alive in Daphne Phelps wonderful book and I quite literally could not put it down. Each chapter chronicles another person, many of them famous, but I found the stories of the Sicilians the most enjoyable. This remarkable Englishwoman moved to Sicily more than 50 years ago and her life is to be marveled at. I have recommended the book to so many friends and we have formed an unofficial "Daphne Phelps Fan Club"...if only she would keep writing!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a wonderful book, very easy to read. I just read it over the weekend. If what you are looking is a guide to Sicily this isn't it, but if you want to know something about that region and their way of life during the years the author writes about, this is your book.

I am always amaze when people like the author make complete changes in their lives, and start a new life somewhere other than their country of birth. I enjoy reading about her experience, and I want to find out more about Casa Cuseni. What I love about real life books is that the people that live in this crazy and beautiful world are 100 % better that any fictional character. The people that Ms Phelps talks about are wonderful characters that any fiction writer would love to have in their books. I have travel in Italy, but I was never interested in visiting Sicily. After reading this book, I want to go there.

If this book had been written about Mexico it would be called racist. Unfortunatly it was written about the Italians, a proud people renowned for their food and women, if not for their military abilities. Unfortunatly mr. Smith is far to harsh in his criticism and almost purpously humorous accounts of Italy's role in political and military affairs. unfortunatly there are few books that document Italy's political history for such a long period 1860-present. Theirfore it is a worthwhile read to understand the long passage of Italian political history. The long veins if you will.

Unfortunatly I think Mr. SMith underestimates the great Italian politicians like Craxi and Mussulini and Crispi, the many faces of Italian politics, he makes fun of Italys military adventures(against the Ethiopians, Austrians, Americans, and Libyans among others). It is unfair to pretend that Italy was totally incompetant when in fact it played a major role in this centuries many wars.

In this book, I got exactly what I wanted: an understanding of the actors, events, and movements in Italian political history starting with unification in the mid-19th century. Cavour, Mazzini, Garibaldi, Crispi, Giolitti, Mussolini, De Gasperi. The author does a wonderful job of constructing these characters (and others) while conveying the changing political and societal backdrop in which they labored. A lack of tempocentrism and equal emphasis on the earlier periods were very positive in my view. Detailed explanations of the causes, mechanisms, and failures of Mussolini and fascism were especially well done.