Rating: 
Summary: Very practical, very useful
Review: An excellent book with very practical examples, especially for JSPs. Explains the concepts of Tag libraries very well. Not as good strictly for Servlets but overall an excellent resource for JSP's. Hope the authors comeup with new books to cover Java Beans, EJB's Struts etc.
Rating: 
Summary: Novice
Review: As a novice programmer to the Java world I found this book to be a great introduction to JSP/Servlet. I have had this book for two weeks now and I already feel that I am ready to start programming in JSP/servlet. I can only grasps thing by doing it. Most of the computer books do not have questions that help solidfy concepts. This book is a little better in a sense that it does have a few programming assignment at the end. Although not enough. I have downloaded a project from the books website and I am also working on the project. The authors have promised to put more projects out there. I hope they follow thru on their promise.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book for a novice and may be experienced also!
Review: I am a newbie in java programming and wanted a beginner's book on JSP/Servlet.
I am more than half way through this book and
I think this book is the best book on this subject atleast for the beginners.
Rating:
Summary: Good JSP / Servlet book for beginners
Review: I am a programmer myself and have been coding in non-java languages for a while, but when I wanted to learn JSP, I first bought JSP for Dummies, it turned out to be the worst book ever, nothing systematic about the book,
but when I was introduced to this book, reading through the book was a breeze.
Book starts with the assumption that you have basic working knowledge in java and covers html,jsp (and custom tags),servlet, mvs model 2 arch., cookies, brief intro to mysql, use of javamail, ssl, xml, intro to ejb.
I will recommend this book to anyone who is seriously thinking of learning and taking the Plunge into the world of J2EE.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Layout for Quick Learning
Review: I used this Book for a class at my University. Made the class and creating a java based web site really easy. Best computer book I have used. Since that time I have bought 3 more murach books:
- VERY EFFECTIVE LAYOUT, when you open the book the left page is a short explanation and some sample code on the right page.
- Includes lots of relevant samples in the text and CD.
- Straight to the point.
- I agree with another reviewer that: It Doesn't teach. I think that is positive because it assumes YOU ARE INTELLIGENT and will learn once you see how its done and are given the information.
Rating:
Summary: Exactly what I needed and was looking for!
Review: I've been a software developer for the last 17 years. Since most corporate applications can and should be done on an intra or extranet, I made the jump from procedural languages and client/server to web development a couple of years ago. With web development It's always been tough to find concise, correct help that actually works- But this book delivers. If you've got at least a beginning Java class under your belt, a little SQL experience and just a little experience with HTML then you'll really be able to take advantage of all the things the book contains. You can actually start from scratch, the book walks you through the install and config of Apache's Tomcat, and after just a few chapters you'll have the knowledge to build a complete web site including the most important part, accessing data in a database.
Rating:
Summary: I Can¿t Over Recommend This Book
Review: I've been developing software for 28 years and using Java for 10 years. However, I've never developed a web application. I needed a crash course on all things web and Java. On my shelf I have about two feet of new books on a variety of Java topics including three books on Java servlets and JSPs. Almost without exception all of these books make these mistakes:- Assume the reader knows too much and in some cases assumes the reader is already familiar with the topic - Takes a complex subject and makes it more complex by taking many digressions, explaining something without explaining why and referring to technologies not explained in the book. - Is loaded with undefined acronyms - Has a "smirky" attitude as though there is some private joke - Only shows code snippets without providing the complete context allowing for your own testing - Doesn't take a building block approach so that you learn the topic step by step Murach's book makes none of these mistakes. I think all technical "how to" or tutorial books should follow Murach's format. There is one concept for each two pages. The left page explains the concept with clearly written text and the right page shows the example that demonstrates the concept. Each concept is built on concepts already learned in previous pages so that if you have understood all the previous concepts you easily understand the next concept. In this book the only assumption is that you're familiar with Java but not necessarily an expert. Along the way unimportant details are identified or there is an indication that the detail will be explained in a later section. If you read the book from start to finish you will not be confused at any point. Because there is an assumption that the reader only knows Java some basic topics such as HTML and the web paradigm are explained. The good news is that these topics are clearly identified and if the reader is already familiar with the topic they can be skipped without fear of missing something important and required for future sections. Aside from the format and process of this book there is the spirit of the book. It is clear the authors care very much about whether their book will help the reader become conversant on the topic. They act as a technical sherpa and are never condescending. I believe this is the only book a beginning Java servlet and JSP programmer will need. I'm not a servlet and JSP expert but I'm guessing this may be the only Java servlet and JSP book you'll ever need. My only disappointment in Murach books is that they don't have more of their books on more recent technologies such as Jakarta Struts or Enterprise Java Beans. It seems that most of their books are on legacy technologies (has Java servlets and JSPs become legacy?).
Rating: 
Summary: Not an advanced book. Disappointed.
Review: If you are a novice, this is a good book. Without enough due diligence I bought this book based on it's recent publish date, and it's 5 star review. Big mistake. First red flag after receiving the book, no mention of what version of JSP is being documented!? If you are looking for an in depth technical discussion/reference of JSP 2.0, do not go here. This book is basic.
Rating:
Summary: The best tutorial for the novice
Review: If you are looking for a book that is going to teach you Servlets and JSP in a very easy way with a lot of hand holding then you are looking for this book. The authors make the assumption that the reader knows the basics of Java but has absolutely no knowledge of internet programming. The book starts by guiding the reader through the process of installing Tomcat (all the samples use Tomcat as the servlet engine) and creating a simple HTML page before they introduce you to Servlets and JSP. Servlets and JSP are covered separately and then working together in the Model 2 architecture. The one thing missing from this section is any mention of Struts or other MVC frameworks. Advanced topics such as using SSL and restricting access to a web site are covered very well and in a way that makes it easy to follow and understand. The authors even show how to write your own tag libraries. Unfortunately, no mention is made of JSTL. The authors show how to install and use MySQL and how to code SQL before moving on to explain using JDBC in a web application. The book ends with a complete sample application of an online store including secure credit card handling. This is an excellent tutorial that will painlessly teach you how to write complex web applications. I doubt that there is another book available that makes the subject this easy to understand.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely the best!
Review: In my 20 years as a computer professional, I have never seen a book so well written as this one. Murach has a gift. Immediately, I began to develop high powered servlet and JSP applications. I came across this book after being very frustrated by books from other publishers. Now I have a deep understanding of the subject.
Love the format, go Murach!
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