Rating:  - Complete Trash
The authors appear not to comprehend the material they purport to be presenting. Terms and concepts that a rank novice should already know are presented very badly while material that does need to be explained is simply ignored. Complete garbage.
Rating: - Agree with the other reviewers, this book is useless.
It may have chapter titles that coincide with Sun's list of exam objectives, but the writing is so dull and incoherent, I do not see how anyone could successfully use this book to learn anything about the covered topics, much less prepare for the exam.
Reading this book reminded me of someone trying to BS answers on an essay test: the text rambles, and it is often difficult to extract any meaning from it.
Note that I did not have the included CD, so I cannot speak to any redeeming qualities of the practice exam.
Rating: - Badly written and unclear
I would not advise buying this book for studying for the SCEA exam. It is very badly written and not clear at all. Much of the material is repeated and long-winded. It contains some of the most useless diagrams I've seen in a long time. I would recommend the Mark Cade book and some of the notes and files that are available from other people who sat the exam. (mainly from the Yahoo groups and JavaRanch). The good points of the book are that there are plenty of practice questions and a sample exam.
Rating: - Waste of Time, Money and Energy
This is a waste book that makes you go to sleep in 2 minutes. the content is poorly organized, the authors don't seem to have any knowledge of the topics covered for the exam. This book totally is a waste of your time, money and energy.
Rating:  - Much more than a certification guide
More is better and that's where this book comes out as a winner!
Chapters cover all objectives and are neatly organized. Every chapter concludes with a small test and a "Two minute drill" that is great for last minute reviews (and index cards!). "Exam watch" sections are interspersed throughout the book to draw your focus on test specific issues and "Scenario-Solution" sections present potential design/architectural issues with solutions in a quick to read format. Many chapters include exercises for problem solving and essay-type answering required for the final part of certification. A sample case study of a securities trading system helps the readers to prepare for part II assignment.
Here's where the "more" factor comes in - the accompanying CD contains a large collection (250+) of questions in the form of two simulated tests. One can register free on their website to download an additional test. The testing software not only includes detailed answers for every question, but will also generate a score report to help you identify your weak areas. The CD also contains code samples referenced in the book and all chapters in electronic (pdf) format. That's very helpful for someone on the run!
This book is much more than a certification guide. It can very well be used as a complete J2EE quick reference guide. Some of the extras packed in the book include XML coverage in Common architectures/protocols section, a great OOAD/UML refresher, lots of J2EE best practices and tips, introductory coverage of JCA and working code for many design patterns. The "On the Job" sections present the reader with some interesting real-life architectural scenarios.
Some code samples are two to three pages long, and one of them has a three-page output listing!! Perhaps that's the only not-cool thing about the book.
Ajith Kallambella
http://www.javaranch.com/contact.jsp#AjithKallambella
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