This book was recommended reading for a course at Western Governor's University. I have to say, that while I am not generally one to go out and buy extra "text" books, I am very glad I bought this one.

Not only is the book chocked full of invaluable information regarding the areas covered on the SCJA exam, the information is presented in a very easy to follow and humerous fashion.

There were many times while reading that I actually found myself laughing out loud at the analogies the author used to illustrate his point.

This is actually the first "text" book that I have read in it's entirety. It's also one that I don't plan to resell as I can see it being a useful reference for quite some time to come.

Bottom line: If you are studying for the SCJA exam - or just want to learn a little more about Java -- this is a great book to add to your reading list.

Good book...reached in good condition...I got it delivered in India and service was really good...it reached me within 20 days...

excellent book if your wanta pass the SCJA. I just cannot believe this little book covers all parts of the exam. From MIDlets, J2EE, EJB's to Strings.

You will need to give yourself sometime to study. The exam is for IT managers NOT developers and thats why I failed it the first time....just an FYI

This book has several errors which sometimes make me confused. I have to try the question in a real project to test whether the answer is virtually correct. However, since 310-019 is pretty much easy, this book still can be your guide, and you do not have so many choices in Amazon.com, do you?

I am not a huge fan of the certification process but I have noticed that many recruiters consider certifications when deciding between interview candidates so here I am. I took Java as part of my college curriculum some number of years ago so I am not a total newbie although I don't use it on a daily basis. I read the book, went through all the questions, sat the exam, and passed with an 82 so from my perspective the book worked. The book does a pretty good job of covering exam topics and I would recommend it even if you have some Java programming education/experience. I don't think the author will have a second career as a stand-up comedian any time soon but I praise his endeavor to make things a little interesting and trying to keep the reader from dosing off. (which I did on many occasions anyway despite his best efforts)

The only thing I would do differently is carefully review the exam objectives on Sun's website and review the applicable sections in the book or even other sources for anything that I was hazy on. The exam objectives accurately define what you need to know to pass in pretty good detail so study them carefully.

This book is really the standard if you want to get certified. All of the exam objectives are covered, it's funny and easy to read, and its full with mock tests and sample SCJA exams that are very similar to the real exam you write in the prometric center.

If you can pass the exams in the book, you'll have no problem passing the exam. Just make sure you understand why certain answers to the mock exams are right, and why certain answers are wrong. It's all explained thoroughly in the book, but don't take anything for granted.

The book is written in a very easy to read, conversational style. I actually read half the book in one sitting. It wasn't like reading a technical book, but instead, like having a fun and casual conversation with an expert in the field.

This is the book you need to pass the exam.

Excellent book that covers the exam material well. I bought this book and the sample questions book. Leisurely studied for a few weeks and passed the exam. Make sure you are scoring higher then 80% on all practice exams and make sure you understand the concepts, don't just memorize the questions.

All in all - excellent book, it is a must get for anyone prepping for the exam

This book is fine, readable, and since there isnt much competition, its good to prepare for the exam.

However, I cant believe the author is a Java/programming expert. At some point he says that it is easier to parse strings by kicking off an external Perl program. And he frequently discusses StringBuffers, Vectors, etc which good Java programmers in this decade would not champion (should use StringBuilders and ArrayLists). Also, as some others have said, his language is not precise and the editing/proofreading is really bad.

I dont really think it is 1 star, I think it is worth purchasing (maybe 2 or 3 stars), but the average score is too high. :)

Chris

I just really enjoyed the format and style of the book. It was straight to the point - easy to read - filled with pertininent information - and in the end it was the reason I passed the SCJA exam.

The book seems larger on the web, don't let the photos trick you into thinking you are getting a huge book for the price. Although, the book seems to cover all the material and at close to 400 pages is probably a good deal. After all, there isn't much out there on this subject available on public sites...(check with the school bookstores, but i dont think many people have spent much time writing textbooks on this subject)maybe thats why the publisher charges so much for a book thats only 8.5 x 5.5 inches!

This book covers all of the material you need to know to get certified. The book is well organized, and very easy to read. One of the better Java books I've ever bought.

This book is really all you need to pass the exam, although a little hands on Java program experience would help. To get a killer score on the exam though, you really need the questions book as well. SCJA Sun Certified Java Associate Exam Questions Guide by Cameron McKenzie Passing Exam CX-310-019

I just passed the SCJA exam this morning, with the following scores.

Fundamental OO Concepts : 100 %
UML Representation of OO Concepts : 83 %
Java Implementation of OO Concepts : 100 %
Algorithm Design and Fundamental : 100 %
Java Development Fundamentals : 100 %
Java Platform and Integration Technologies : 100 %
Client Technologies : 83 %
Server Technologies : 100 %

This book, and the SCJA Exam Questions Book were the only two resources that I used to study. They're definitely all you need to pass the exam.

These books are awesome!

This book is a very good book. It learns you the ins and outs of the SCJA in a very interresting and fun way! Now hope I will pass the exam ;-)

The key to studying for any test is to know the "key words and tricky phrases". This book does just that. It reminds you of the things you already should know, and in a humorous way. Not only does it prepare you for the exam, but it also reinforces the basics that may have slipped somewhere in your memory. Definitely worth the money.

I'm just feeling a bit funny after spending the last month studying for the Associates Exam. And 'funny' isn't at all an inappropriate word to be throwing into a review for this book. The book is written from the perspective of a very experienced developer who is full of both passion for the technology, but great cynicysm for the industry, and while the book is very focussed on teaching the reader Java, you really get a feel for who the author is, and what the author is thinking when you read this study guide. It's full of great examples, peppered with witty remarks, a crass opinion, and a little bit of self-deprecating humour. It really made studying for the exam all that much easier.


As far as the exam goes, well, it seems pretty straight forward until you really get into how much content it covered. You really have to know a little bit about everything to do well on this exam. I mean, it covers EJBs and it also covers Midlets - talk about opposite ends of the spectrum. The real challenge is knowing how much to study. You can easily study way too much on the topics of JSPs and Servlets, or you can spend too little time on JMS and Web Services - either way, you're not using your time effectively. That's probably the best thing about this book. It covers all of the topics on the exam in just the right depth, making you very comfortable with how much you need to study, and letting you know when you are finished with a particular objectives.

Personally, I thought the object oriented analysis and design section of the book was the best explaination about OOA&D and UML I've ever encountered. It was comprehensive, yet to the point. You learned what was important very quickly.

I also used the SCJA Exam Questions Guide by the same author to really practice hard. The SCJA Guide has a fully sample exam, and hundreds of sample questions, so going through 350 more questions in the exam guide is a great way to make sure you're prepared for the exam.

Good luck to everyone else studying for the exam. It's a tough exam to pass, but if you study smart, you can do it!

I wrote a review for the Question book by the same author, SCJA Sun Certified Java Associate Exam Questions Guide by Cameron McKenzie Passing Exam CX-310-019so for more detail about why I wrote the SCJA exam, and what I thought about it, check my review there.

As for this book, it totally delivered to me what I needed to know to pass the exam. I had a bit of programming knowledge, but very little OOA and OOD knowledge. I also came from a C background, and my knowledge of Java related technologies, such as JSPs and J2EE, was nil. This book did the best job at helping you understand the big picture of Java, along with explaining the intricacies of OOA and OOD with Java. Actually, this had probalby the best overview of object oriented analysis and design that I've ever read. I highly recommend it, even if you're not taking the exam.

I might improve the Java syntax section. The book doesn't go overly in depth into Java coding, although neither does the exam, so I guess it makes sense.

Otherwise, this was a great book about Java, J2EE and OOA&D. These books were all I used to get certified, and if you want to pass as well, I'm pretty sure they're all you'll need too.

Good luck! It's a tough exam!

First of all, I should say that I'm slightly biased, because I helped out as a volunteer editor on the second edition, but regardless of the edition, this is a five star book.

I loved the first edition. It was written with great humour and style, and packed with tonnes of helpful hints and best practices that not only helped you learn Java, but helped you learn good programming techniques as well. Furthermore, there was even a bit of 'opinion' about all things Java, which sometimes made it feel like you were reading a good article in the Sunday paper, as opposed to a technical book. Still, in the first edition, there was some room for improvement. There were probably more typos than there should have been, and a couple of areas were a tad lapidary. When I emailed the author some suggestions, I was surprised when he asked me to review and provide feedback on this next edition. What's more, I saw many of my suggestions make it quickly into print.

So, I will admit to being a little biased, but I will say that the first edition, which was a little over 300 pages, along with the SCJA Questions Book by the same author SCJA Sun Certified Java Associate Exam Questions Guide by Cameron McKenzie Passing Exam CX-310-019, gave me everything I needed to pass the SCJA exam on the first try. However, with all of the improvements in the new edition, the book is even better than before, and much more refined.

If you want to pass the SCJA exam, this is the book you'll need.

I'd agree that the substance of this book definitely rates a 5. After studying it, I definitely feel prepared for the SCJA exam. However, this book could use a good once-over by an editor. Parts of the layout feel out of order. Topics are mentioned in the text and, even worse, in a few of the end-of-chapter quizzes, but aren't actually introduced until later in the book. Additionally, there are a few "bugs" in the text (see the startsWith/beginsWith/endsWith discussion on p. 313) that could have been cleaned up. While the layout issues aren't deal breakers (the book is still very readable), they lent a bit of a rushed feel to the whole product.

Overall, despite these few issues, I'd say that this is a definitive "must buy" if you're sitting for the SCJA exam. The content is in depth and goes a bit past the exam to teach some good programming habits and practices along the way. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

I really wanted to complete the certification very soon and this book made my life much easier. The book covers all the SCJA objectives and the concepts have been made so simple to understand,its just amazing!!

The author is just so brilliant at describing the things, the book truly deserves a five star rating.

I wish all those taking SCJA exam all the best!!!!!

This was a hard exam.

There was so much to study, and so many topics to cover. I really thought I'd have to buy a bunch of books on a bunch of different subjects to cover everything on this exam. I mean, the exam covers J2EE, J2ME, JSPs, Servlets and everything inbetween. But instead of buying a bunch of books, I bought two, this book and the questions guide from the same writer. Together, they were the perfect combination.

The certification guide covers everything you need to know to pass the exam. In fact, I think this book alone would have got me a pass, but I wanted to be more confident. And that's where the Exam Questions book came in. SCJA Sun Certified Java Associate Exam Questions Guide by Cameron McKenzie Passing Exam CX-310-019 It had over 350 questions in it, was over 400 pages long, and not only had killer question, but it has awesome answers as well.

If you want to get SCJA certified, these two books are what you need, and if you've got them, other than a little Java programming practice, you really don't need anything else.