Rating: 
Summary: Geared towards learning the topics, not towards passing cert
Review: (This review is a variation of my review for the individual 70-315 "redbook") Microsoft approaches certification exams the same way that the Educational Testing Service approaches SAT, GMAT and GRE college entrance exams. ETS discourages people from using SAT preparation classes and books and, rather, encourages people to just work on their verbal and quantitative skills. They suggest that doing so is enough to do well on the exams. We all know better. Microsoft takes the approach that, if you have a good mastery of the subject being tested then that is all you need to pass the certs. The Microsoft Self-Paced Training Kits (known as the "redbooks") do a reasonable job of teaching you the concepts of ASP.NET (and WinForms and the VB.NET/C# language and other tested topics), but they do a poor job of preparing you for the certs. It's true that, if you review vocabulary words a lot and practice intermediate algebra and 10th grade geometry problems in the weeks preceding your SATs you may improve your score by 3 or 4%. But if you use that time to review sample test questions and analyze the structure and logic behind SAT questions using Princeton Review or Kaplan etc., then you will improve your score by considerably more than a few percentage points. The same goes for Microsoft certs. If you master the topic being tested (in this case, Web apps, ASP.NET), you may still pass the exam or, at least, slightly increase your score. But knowing the topic is not enough. You must know the exam, as well. This thinking goes against Microsoft's view of their own certification exams. Microsoft's thinking and point-of-view is reflected in their "redbooks." Therefore, if all you want is to learn ASP.NET using either of the dialects of the VB.NET/C# language, then this book is OK (if a bit pricey compared to other "cert prep" books). But if you are looking for certification preparation (as opposed to just learning the topic), then a combination of one of the cert prep products such as TestKing or Transcender along with a book like Kalani (ISBN: 0789728222) is a much better approach. These tools will help you pass the exam. Kalani, in particualr, will help you master the topic AS WELL AS prepare you for the exam. TestKing and/or Transcender will give you practice with close-to-actual exam questions. No, they don't repeat real questions but they do give you examples of the TYPES of question to expect and give you practice with the nuances, languages and tricks that are part of the cert exam questions. You can't pass the certs without understanding the topics (and I would never hire anyone who passed the exam by memorizing questions -- believe me, I can tell). But knowing the topics alone is usually not enough. The "redbooks" teach the concepts and prepare you for using the ASP.NET tools, but the "redbooks" do not prepare you for the exams. If the books were cheaper (or if you can share with 2 or 3 friends), and your goal was just to learn how to program (but not necessarily pass a cert) then I would recommend this book for learning the topic. For cert preparation, however, use something else.
- - - - NOTES:
(1) I gave the entire set 3 stars even though I gave the individual 70-315 book only 2 stars because if you buy the entire set, not only is the discount price below that of buying all 4 books separately, but also because the test vouchers inside reduce the price even more (if you use all 4). The reduced price makes it more of a bargain. Also, the 70-300 exam book was closer to the actual exam than the other three books. (2) When you buy the boxed set, the volumes are softbound (paperback). When you buy the books individually, they are hardcover. (3) For "server" certs, the equivalent to the Microsoft "redbooks" are the "bluebooks." For the 70-229 exam (T-SQL and SQL Server), the "bluebook" is ISBN: 0735619603. 7-229 can be used as the elective on the MCAD or as the required "server" cert on the MCSD exam. In addition to the 4 books in the above Self-training kit, you will need the 70-229 "bluebook" (unless you go for one of the other server certs, such as Biztalk Server or Commerce Server). The 70-229 "bluebook" is closer to the cert exam than the "redbooks" are to their respective exams.
Rating: 
Summary: No discounts for this set!
Review: FYI, I have just received this set (2/6/04). Contrary to what was stated by another reviewer, it DOES NOT PROVIDE 15% discount coupons for the associated exams! That was a temporary Microsoft promotion, which at the time of this writing applies to Windows Server 2003 exams, but not to these MCAD/MCSD tests. As far as the content of the books go, I haven't even begun to read them, but I want to make sure no one else buys them just to get the discount. Next time, check with www.microsoft.com/learning first to see what kinds of promotions are currently being offered.
Rating: 
Summary: Exact same content with hardcover version sold individually!
Review: I have just received a set today, but have not started with it yet, so I can't comment much. All I can be sure is that I had verified the paperback version with the hardback version selling in one of my local bookstore. The total page numbers are exactly the same although the thickness differs. To further verify, I randomly pick a few pages to compare, the contents are exactly the same and of course corresponded with the page number. As the old saying goes: Never judge a book by its cover (and thickness)!
Rating: 
Summary: Don't expect everything but good certification prep books
Review: I have QUE books for actual hands-on studying at home. But I wanted books for a quick on-the-go studying. I'm satisfied with the sets for the following reasons:
1) each book is light enough for me to carry in my backpack everyday.
2) Content may not be in-depth but is decent enough.
3) Exam questions are much better than QUE books. This is arguable However I just passed 70-315 and I can tell you that many of the questions were awefully familar thanks to the practice questions that came with the set. No discount code in my set but I bought the voucher from online companies that offers 10+ % discount.
Rating:
Summary: Decent Way to Learn, But Not Enough for Certification
Review: If there's anything I've learned in my years of programming, it's that you need more than one book to achieve a Microsoft programming certification. Usually MS Press (recently affliated with/purchased by McGraw Hill) books are the gospel, but their theory goes much further than their hands-on, which is far from extensive. In the past I have used Sybex's books, which have much better hands-on examples, allowing you to explore all of the features of the environment.
These books are very helpful to me, but I certified in VB5 and 6, and have been working with .NET since Beta 1. These books will not be helpful to someone who is "new" to Visual Studio languages, or new to programming altogether.
If this is your first MS programming cert, be sure to pick up other books as well to ensure you cover the breadth of material necessary.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: It is nice to have everything in one box ...great package..
Rating: 
Summary: MCSD.NET,MCSE,MCDBA,MCSA and MCT
Review: Sorry Microsoft, Although that I like Microsoft Products and Technologies as much as I like the sun in our country but these Training Kit is useless. I'm MCT for MCSD.NET and never liked it. you can think of it as just titles for subject so why we will get it?
Michael Youssef
Microsoft.NET Architect/Trainer
Rating:
Summary: No Silver Bullet
Review: The good thing about buying this collection of books is that it represents a worthwhile investment for someone who wants to get an MCSD or MCAD certification. The savings over buying the hardcover books individually is significant.
I'm in agreement with what seems to be a consensus among reviewers that, while these books contain a lot of good information, you'll need to go to other resources to learn everything you'll need to know to actually pass the tests. MSDN is often a great source of information - if only because it's free - for things that the books don't cover.
In places where these books are good, they present concise explanations of concepts you need to understand to be able to answer test questions. The tests often involve some reasoned problem-solving to arrive at the right answer, rather than simple factual recall. (Some cert test questions, on the other hand, are almost silly - but that's another issue.) Where lots of computer books are padded with pendanticism and lengthy, tedious sample applications, these books can often help you grasp the salient concepts in a few short pages.
Code samples also tend to be concise and illustrative (although they don't always work!). Some of the sample code on the CDs might be the best thing the collection has to offer. You can learn a lot by pasting it into Visual Studio - and then changing stuff around to see what it does. If you're like me and don't type well, the CD is great to have.
In places where they are bad, these books are bloated with fluffy chapter introductions and summaries, that are really only filler, and nearly irrevelant information. They also frequently do not reflect the emphasis that a subject area will have on the exams. If 20% of a book covers a given topic, that doesn't mean that 20% of the test questions will cover that topic. The left hand and the right hand at Microsoft just aren't all that coordinated. In this respect, these books leave much to be desired as "exam preparation" guides.
I personally felt the 70-300 book was by far the worst in these respects while the 70-305 book was quite worthwhile. The other two fit somewhere in the middle.
I went through the practice tests for two of the exams and decided they weren't worth the time it takes to go through them. After that, I gave up on those and bought practices tests instead.
In two cases, I also used Exam Cram books to prepare and agree with those who say that they are better. It really is kind of shabby that a third party can come up with better instructional materials than Microsoft itself.
Rating:
Summary: Discount Coupons
Review: There seemed to be some disagreement here about whether this set still comes with discount coupons for the exams anymore. I just wanted to say I just bought the set (end of March) and mine does have the coupons. They're only good until June 30, 2004, but they're in there. Other than that, the set looks good, I hope to start going through it tonight. (NOTE: the Visual Studio 60 day trial comes on DVD, so if you don't have a DVD ROM and want to use the trial, you're out of luck!)
Rating:
Summary: Not in-depth enough
Review: This books disappoints because the coverage is not in-depth enough. When you take sample exams, there are a lot of uncovered topics. I found Que's books to be much better preparation for the MCAD exams.
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