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Rating: 
Summary: Great material -- just not enjoyable reading
Review: As I took the CISSP exam, I kept thinking, "he really knew what he was talking about." If you were to know this book backwards and forwards, you would do well on the CISSP exam. However, this text suffers from a problem common among learning manuals -- if you didn't get a good sleep the night before you will be nodding off after only a few pages. It reads like a dictionary. Also, the summaries and tables were lacking in both quality and quantity.After having said that, I have to admit that this book probably helped me the most out of the four I used to prepare for the exam. While Shon Harris' second edition of the All-In-One guide was much more readable and memorable, the content probably wasn't quite as good. Therefore, these two books probably tied as the ones on the top of my list were I to go through this process again.
Rating:
Summary: Great material -- just not enjoyable reading
Review: As I took the CISSP exam, I kept thinking, "he really knew what he was talking about." If you were to know this book backwards and forwards, you would do well on the CISSP exam. However, this text suffers from a problem common among learning manuals -- if you didn't get a good sleep the night before you will be nodding off after only a few pages. It reads like a dictionary. Also, the summaries and tables were lacking in both quality and quantity. After having said that, I have to admit that this book probably helped me the most out of the four I used to prepare for the exam. While Shon Harris' second edition of the All-In-One guide was much more readable and memorable, the content probably wasn't quite as good. Therefore, these two books probably tied as the ones on the top of my list were I to go through this process again.
Rating: 
Summary: Perspective Mismatch
Review: Creators of CISSP test preparation packages face three challenges: 1) Moving Target: New questions are being added to every test and subject matter weighting is dynamic. 2) Diverse Audience: There are 10 CISSP domains implying at least as many professional roles of people sitting for the exam. 3) Publisher Pressure: As this is considered one of the "hottest" certifications, authors are likely to submit works before they are comfortable with quality. While there is a lot of valuable information in this book, the perspective is noticeably different from what is required. If we consider three broad security points-of-view, there is that of the manager, the architect, and the engineer. This book prepares the reader to wear an architect's hat; after answering a couple dozen real questions, you'll wish you could trade this cap for one bearing the "manager" insignia. The writing-style varies, but is prevailingly dry. Much reads like a glossary. For example, in the section on Network and Protocol Security Mechanisms, 16 out of 17 paragraphs take the form: [A] is a ... [B] is a ... [C] is a ... Additional diagrams, examples, and proofreading would have improved this product. The real questions are more difficult than those on the CD and, again, call for a different perspective. To its credit though, I was able to pass the exam with this package as my only study material. If you purchase this book, be sure to also buy a complementary higher-level text. Here's the litmus test: if the candidate companion chapter on cryptography includes binary mathematics truth tables and "E(K1,E(K2,E(K1,P)))" - the second version of Triple DES - keep looking.
Rating: 
Summary: Solid exam preparation tool
Review: I must admit a soft spot for Sybex (and Ed Tittel) study guides, having used them extensively for Microsoft exams. This book follows in that tradition, providing a good balance between detailed explanation and comprehensive coverage of the exam topics. The bundled CD is useful. I raced through the 250 flash cards in an hour, which is good for jogging the memory. The four bonus exams, of 75 questions each, are good, but are not as difficult as the real thing. These exams provide grades broken down by each CISSP exam domain, which is excellent for identifying topics for revision. One book can not guarantee coverage of all CISSP exam topics, particularly given the long list of references on the CISSP suggested reading list. I also skimmed through a friend's copy of Shon Harris's "All-in-One" exam guide. I would still rate this book higher, but Harris's book covers some topics in more detail then the Sybex book. The "All-in-One" practice exams are more difficult, though some of the questions are not clearly worded. The biggest disappoint I have with the exam preparation experience is with the CISSP's ten domains. The examination questions are based on 'good exam fodder' from topics in the ten domains. The topics lean towards an academic approach to security, rather then knowledge needed by a working security professional. The other references I would strongly suggest to help to gain a security brain, as well as a high exam score include: Stephen Northcutt's 'Inside Network Perimeter Security', Ross Anderson's 'Security Engineering', and Syngress's 'Special Ops'. Maybe I should take one of the SANS security exams, which are much more practical in nature. And best of luck with the exam!
Rating:
Summary: Very good resource
Review: I purchased and used both this text and the Shon Harris book. The text here is dry reading but very informative. As I got closer to taking the exam, I used it primarily for the practice exams and then used those to identify my weak areas. The practice exams give a very good breakdown by domain area of your strengths and weaknesses. I agree with another reviewer that the Shon Harris book is easier reading. If you are relatively new to the material and teaching yourself, you may want to go with that book as your primary text. However, if you are already pretty familiar with the material and knowledgeable about the technical aspect of networking, then this book would probably provide you more useful material. Both are outstanding texts but one is more useful than the other based upon where you are starting from.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Review Source
Review: I recently took and passed the CISSP exam. I have approximately 10 years of IT experience, mostly on the network security end of things. My sole source of exam related study was this book. I found that I knew much of the material already, but this book definitely filled in all of the gaps. Since the CISSP requires a minimum of three years full-time experience (with a degree), I see no reason why someone couldn't pass the exam using only this book to fill in the missing information.
Rating: 
Summary: a CISSP exam cram indeed!
Review: The quality and contents of Sybex CISSP Study Guide is equivalent to a CISSP Exam Cram. It is very very brief and basic, not focused. Not even useful for a supplement reading. The questions are too simple as Boson's. CISSP Prep Guide 2nd Edition is brief but focused. Questions are well-designed. Comparing the prices with two authotitative CISSP books ie CISSP All-in-1 and CISSP Prep Guide, this so-called crammed book is rather expensive.
Rating:
Summary: A fortuitously excellent tool
Review: This resource alone will not deliver someone, especially one without rich networking experience, into a mastery of CISSP knowledge. However, it, in conjunction with the experience required to sit for the exam in the first place, should suffice to pass. (It did for me, a 4-year.) It is crisp, sets the right tone for the actual exam, and does not lie. You do not waste time with unnecessary verbiage--I appreciated this.
The exam engine questions are very good, though before I sat for the exam I was annoyed at some ambiguity, and verbal "gaminess" (e.g., "Select the most false answer to the following non-question: what is not a secure protocol meant to possibly secure..."--you get the idea. One wonders whether they are being tested on how well they find their way through a maze of multiple negatives.). This apparent fault was redeemed by the much larger degree of ambiguity and gaminess found in the actual CISSP exam questions; so these practice exams turned out to be nice prep for that very reason.
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