Kaplan's LSAT prep book is an effective priming tool to those interested in taking the exam, but it shouldn't be relied upon by itself. Being a horrible standardized test taker, I appreciated the full package of the book -- Kaplan devotes a quarter of the pages to test-taking strategies, another quarter on exam-day details and the law school application/admissions process, and the final half to practice tests. The book is written in a very clear and informative style that contains quite a few effective strategies for the "completely ignorant" LSAT student. Anyone who has no idea what the LSAT is all about will surely find this to be a great primer when starting a study plan. Yet, as another reviewer suggested, I also have the feeling that their Kaplan prep course reserves most of the best tricks for those willing to fork over the cash.

That said, this book won't assure a high LSAT score by any means. The four practice exams are made by Kaplan and are NOT real LSAT exams. I find the only real solution to studying for the LSAT is to practice with PrepTests. Also, the Kaplan practice tests don't simulate a true testing experience because they ignore a fifth "experimental" section. It would have been nice to throw that in, just to give a more realistic gauge of actual test-day conditions.

I would recommend this book for those who are starting out cold.
I found this volume to be more of an informative tool than a teacher, and I didn't feel the practice exams were enough to keep me confident for test day.

Ultimately, I think the Kaplan book was a worthwhile investment but get the CD-less package instead. You're paying extra for the CD and I found it was completely worthless -- it frequently crashed on my Windows 2000 computer and I didn't even need it to study because using a CD to study doesn't simulate a real test-day experience. Kudos for the book, but the CD is nothing more than a wasted coaster.