SharePoint is a monumentally large product. On top of that, the interface is web-based meaning that your normal right-click hunting, or hitting F1, won't work. Just getting started can be rather intimidating.

If the above describes how you feel about SharePoint - Buy this book and walk through it from start to finish. It won't make you a SharePoint guru, but it will get you into it, it will make you feel more comfortable with it, and allow you to move on to bigger and better things.

This book does cover a lot of ground and provides a good "first look" at the scope of SharePoint's major features. I did not find any "Try It Out" exercises that did not work as described. I would have appreciated a reference to an e-mail solution for readers who do not have thier own e-mail server domain (e.g.: @filobit.com).
Husman is obviouly very enthusiastic about SharePoint. There are few instances where he presents the potential disadvantages of a feature. For example, the ease of creating multiple sites, libraries and workspaces could lead to multiple copies of a "master" document and the potential risk of independent updates. Some comments on the potential risks would have made a more balanced reading.

Still reading, however what I have read so far has impressed me. Starting with the first chapter that explains the features of SharePoint 3.0 and Microsoft Office SharePoint 2007. Following that are the chapters on installation and configuration of each. They detail the options with instructions on the installation of each. I hope to put this to use in the near future, still have more of the book to read and I need a machine to install it on. I recommend this book if you want to change the way your organization saves it's documents. They are stored in Microsoft SQL and can index all those documents and more.

SharePoint technologies is much more different than any other Microsoft technologies. You can install SQL Server or Microsoft.NET or Visual Studio with ease and start working on the product right away.

Regardless of what your role in your organization - programmer, power user, administrator, architect - one thing is must that if you want to learn SharePoint, you need to understand how to install and configure WSS and MOSS servers. It has many installtion models and one must learn what they are installing and what services they are configuring before creating first site collection or site to host team site or portal site.

That's where this book comes in picture. Forget that its part of Wrox's Beginning series and make sure this is your first SharePoint book at any cost. After first chapter of SharePoint introduction, Goran takes us through the WSS and MOSS installation and Configuration process in next 4 chapters. Understanding basics and what's going on behind the installtion and configution process is one of the key fundamentals one must know to be a great SharePoint programmer or administrator. Once you install and configure the product, make sure to go through Chapter 6 and 8 for advanced configurations and overview of outofbox WSS and MOSS site templates.

Although I have mixed opinion on remaining chapters - Office Integration, WCM, Document Management, and SharePoint designer, I must say this book is worth to have in your bookshelf for key WSS and MOSS installtion and configuration topics.

Nik

This is the second SharePoint book I bought and once again this is the best and only book you need to deploy and engineer SharePoint Services or Server 2007. I am planning on upgrading our SharePoint 2.0 to Portal 2007 and this book gives enough information. Highly recommend this book to anyone who is in the process of deploying, engineering and supporting SharePoint Portal or Services.

Sr. Systems Engineer