Rating: 
Summary: I have just passed the first part with the score of 95%...
Review: I have just passed the first part with the score of 95%... The book was very helpful.I strongly recomend it. Of course, you will also need to read something else to get a good score.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent to what you need to study.
Review: I really like this book--I'm almost all the way through it, and I've got a good sense of what I need to bone up on (more than I thought) and what I'm probably OK on. I got a lot of information from it in not much time. I also have pretty high confidence in the book because it's from the same guys who wrote the exam--Roberts also wrote the other exams, and a study guide for those too. (I used it, liked it, passed the tests.) The publisher should probably change the description of the book on the site, though. "Start-to-finish coverage of key J2EE platform architectural issues" is misleading. Though nobody should be expecting it to have Everything About Architecture in it, that kind of book couldn't fit through the door. The book is mostly about the objectives, and what the key judgments you as an architect need to make. I think it does it really well.
Rating: 
Summary: Not that good as promised
Review: I strongly agree the comments put by a reader from Alameda, CA United States. Just replicated as below:
This book has very little content in terms of J2EE itself. The title is very misleading - this cannot in itself be a study guide for the exam. To tell you truthfully, I am dissapointed with the book and would not recommend anyone to buy this book as anything more than a objectives refresher. This is an unbiased review - I am a software engineer planning to take the test in about a month. If you are planning to take this exam skip this book - it didn't help me much in my preparation and I'm sure you will be hearing the same from others who have bought this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Simple book, well-suited to the J2EE 1.2 architect exam
Review: I was tempted to only give the book three stars, but it does accomplish what it sets out to do, which is to prepare you for the 48-question enterprise architect exam. The exam was somewhat easier than I expected, so I've moderated my initial opinion that the book was too simple--now it's the exam that I think is too simple, and the book is just right for the exam. Reading this book, just like taking the exam or gaining certification, won't make you an architect nor even prove that you already are one. Note however that this book was published in March 2002, so it is already somewhat dated. However, as of June 2003 the SCEA exam still focuses on J2EE 1.2 (and EJB 1.1), so for now the book is still relevant to the exam. By the end of 2003 there should be a new version of the exam, and then the book will be out of date. (BTW, if you take the J2EE 1.2 version of the exam, beware not to answer any questions based on J2EE 1.3 or 1.4--for instance, there were no message-driven beans in EJB 1.1.) One area the book completely misses, but which figures prominently in the exam, is the subject of interfacing with legacy systems. Fortunately for me I had plenty of experience interfacing with legacy systems already when I took the exam or I would have felt a little blind-sided by the lack of coverage for it in the book. (Hmmm...not sure if `fortunately' is quite the right word to describe my experience with legacy systems.) Other than this omission, if you feel comfortable with the subjects in the book then reading this book (which won't take too long) should be enough preparation for the exam. Hopefully most of this will be review of stuff you already know with a few new pieces of information scattered throughout. I mean, you only need to get 33 out of 48 questions correct to pass, so it's not exactly rocket science.
Rating:
Summary: Simple book, well-suited to the J2EE 1.2 architect exam
Review: I was tempted to only give the book three stars, but it does accomplish what it sets out to do, which is to prepare you for the 48-question enterprise architect exam. The exam was somewhat easier than I expected, so I've moderated my initial opinion that the book was too simple--now it's the exam that I think is too simple, and the book is just right for the exam. Reading this book, just like taking the exam or gaining certification, won't make you an architect nor even prove that you already are one. Note however that this book was published in March 2002, so it is already somewhat dated. However, as of June 2003 the SCEA exam still focuses on J2EE 1.2 (and EJB 1.1), so for now the book is still relevant to the exam. By the end of 2003 there should be a new version of the exam, and then the book will be out of date. (BTW, if you take the J2EE 1.2 version of the exam, beware not to answer any questions based on J2EE 1.3 or 1.4--for instance, there were no message-driven beans in EJB 1.1.) One area the book completely misses, but which figures prominently in the exam, is the subject of interfacing with legacy systems. Fortunately for me I had plenty of experience interfacing with legacy systems already when I took the exam or I would have felt a little blind-sided by the lack of coverage for it in the book. (Hmmm...not sure if 'fortunately' is quite the right word to describe my experience with legacy systems.) Other than this omission, if you feel comfortable with the subjects in the book then reading this book (which won't take too long) should be enough preparation for the exam. Hopefully most of this will be review of stuff you already know with a few new pieces of information scattered throughout. I mean, you only need to get 33 out of 48 questions correct to pass, so it's not exactly rocket science.
Rating:
Summary: Helped me get past the first test.
Review: I'll try not to repeat what others have said because they have been pretty accurate. This is not a "Training Manual" for the test but is instead a "Study Guide". It helps you focus on what you need to bone up on before the test but you'll need to get detailed information elsewhere. For example, the design patterns section gives a very brief description of each pattern. If you are new to the GoF patterns you need to study another book, but if you are familiar with them and need just a quick review you'll get it here. I've only got 2-3 years of Java experience but have 12 years of industry experience. I found most of the test questions to be easy but still only got 87% overall. I gave it four stars because it is the only book out there, it didn't waste my time by being filled with fluff, and it helped me identify my weak areas.
Rating:
Summary: Just good for SCEA certification
Review: If you are experienced in J2EE, this book is just right for you, otherwise, you have to read a dozen different books for all those topic covered by SCEA certification. If you are not experienced in J2EE, this book is still good summary of what you will or have learned from other books. SCEA certification should not be challenging to those who have good knowledge of J2EE.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but would like more....
Review: Jam packed with information, but not a lot of elaboration for people new to the material.
Rating:
Summary: Very Superficial
Review: No more than an introduction to the basic concepts
Rating:
Summary: Don't trust this book
Review: Not everybody rates this book very highly (and so do I with 3 starts) I might as well take a different road. Granted the book is not a great one but I strongly recommend your buying if you want to have a quick understanding on what is all about J2EE architect exam. Well this book is not written for a new programmer, or someone with little knowledge of JSP and Servlets. It requires a solid experience on J2EE to understand the book content and samples. You will not guaranteed to pass the exam only by reading this book,
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