Rating: 
Summary: A must have!
Review: I read countless books in preparation for the exam (Applied Cryptography, Information Security Management, Hacking Exposed, High-Technology Crime...) but I focused most of my time on this book and it proved to be most helpful. Its usefulness lies in the breadth of information provided. ...and yes, I passed the test the first time and I attribute that fact to this book. It is a must have.
Rating: 
Summary: Only Book I Used to Pass!
Review: I used this book and the boson.com sample tests as my study guides. I comfortably passed the CISSP exam. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because the questions at the end of the chapters are too easy compared to actual test questions.
Rating:
Summary: Good book for review
Review: I found the Krutz book well organized and easy to read. It's a great book if you're looking for a review of the ten domains prior to taking the test. I would not recommend it as the only book you would read if you were a new security professional. The test questions at the end of each chapter are good in that they are written in a similiar fashion to the actual exam. Again, very good study book for the experinced professional looking for a fairly comprehensive overview.
Rating:
Summary: Short an concise
Review: This is the best CISSP study guide. The book covers everything needed to pass the CISSP exam.However, this book is only like a review or an executive summary of the security 10 domains covered in the exam, Unless you have been working in the security field for a couple of years, you need to study more detailed material in order to pass the exam. This book is a great starting point to get a feel for the areas which you are weak in and need to study more in-depth order to pass the exam.
Rating:
Summary: common sense but still good
Review: Most of it is common sense assuming you have experience which you need to register. Good for collecting the thoughts before you take the leap.
Rating:
Summary: Start your CISSP review right here -
Review: This is an excellent FIRST book for your CISSP study. Consider it required reading. Over 80% of the terms and concepts you need to learn are presented in an excellent framework. The organization is easy to follow and understand. It's like reading 500 pages of Cliff's notes. I give five stars for the organization, chapter review questions, and ease of reading. Chapter 3 does have errors - but, in my opinion, the rest of the book is the best organized "unofficial" tutorial and review I have seen on the subjects. It is not a techie's how-to manual. The author went above & beyond the call of duty when writing the Appendix sections. It includes full overview sections on the DOD rainbow books, IPSEC, BS-7799 and more. I suggest you then read "Information Security Management Handbook" by Krause & Tipton to round out your studies. These two books combined should give you a firm grasp of the basics. Several other good security books are available, but this one is a golden egg. Best of luck to you.
Rating: 
Summary: Slim on information
Review: I have been studying several books for the CISSP exam and this is the first study guide I have purchased and read. I was very disappointed in the amount of information in this book when the actual exam covers so much material. I feel I have a more extensive understanding of the subjects from my months of studying many other books - I was hoping this book would take me even further, but it did not.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Introduction & Framework to Start
Review: I enjoy reading this book very much. I have adopted this as one of the textbooks for my undergraduate Computer Security course. I think this is one of the best introduction and survey to provide a solid framework for the field, and for those to prepare CISSP. It is very well written as a summary, with excellent references for the original and critical sources. I see some of the frustration by other reviewer (for example, on Chapter 3) but I think that the authors have done a superb work. The problem or frustration is, I think, due to the vast amount, depth and bredth of each field to be summerized (which can easily be expanded into several books). I use this book as a framework, along with (1) Incident Response (by Mandia & Prosise) and (2.1) Hacking Exposed (2nd ed, by Scambray, McClure, Kurtz) or (2.2) Maximum Security (3rd ed, Anonymous) to supplement the reading and case study.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor editing makes it nearly unreadable
Review: This may be a great reference, but I've noticed six typos by page five - they are a mounting distraction. Perhaps the information content is credible, but the horrid presentation makes the authors appear untrustworthy.
Rating:
Summary: Tear out chapter 3, and you have a useful CISSP study guide
Review: I am a senior engineer for network security operations. I read "The CISSP Prep Guide" (TCPG) as a study aid for the CISSP exam, which I completed yesterday. CISSP candidates are not allowed to discuss the contents of the test, but I can comment on the quality of TCPG's text. If you tear out chapter 3 (Telecommunications and Network Security), the remaining content is informative and applicable. If you rely on chapter 3 to learn about network security, you'll be sorely disappointed.
By performing network security monitoring, I am intimately familiar with defensive tools and tactics, and adequately informed of offensive operations. I observe network defense and offense on a daily basis. Unfortunately, chapter 3 of TCPG demonstrates almost no understanding of these important concepts. The authors do not correctly explain network attacks. ("Ping of death" is the most common buffer overflow?) Their firewall deployment strategies are wrong, and their examples of "protocols" at each OSI layer are false. (Since when is SQL a session layer protocol?) The authors should have consulted someone with real knowledge of network security before publishing this poor material.
Thankfully, beyond chapter 3, the majority of the book is helpful and reliable. The authors cover each domain of the Common Body of Knowledge, and present information in a humorless but well-organized manner. TCPG introduced me to management concepts I hadn't formally studied elsewhere, such as risk management, risk assessment, business continuity planning, and disaster recovery planning. TCPG also offered helpful quizzes at the end of each chapter. The appendices, covering the RAINBOW series, HIPPA, NSA assessments, and the Common Criteria, were also enlightening.
Reading TCPG is not sufficient preparation for the CISSP exam. I also read Coriolis' "CISSP Exam Cram," and reviewed a CBK outline on the Internet. Still, my experience in the field proved better preparation than these references. Use books like TCPG to fill the gaps in your experience (probably security management), and be sure to discount material you know is incorrect.
(Disclaimer: I received a free review copy from the publisher.)
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