Description:
What can you say about a book that does exactly what it sets out to do? Windows 2000 Professional Exam Cram does one thing, and it does it very well: it gives you a last-minute boost for the exam, walking you through tricky concepts for the last time and pointing out potential tricks and pitfalls. However, unlike most of the books in the Exam Cram series--which, since they assume you've done your homework beforehand, tend to be tough on the novice--this book is so astoundingly well-written that it could serve as an introduction to Windows 2K Professional. In 10 concise chapters, most of the major topics you'll need to know are covered. The writing is crisp and clean, explaining oft-complex topics in as few sentences as possible, and the chapters are written so as to minimize the reread factor. Admittedly, Windows 2000 Professional is probably the easiest of the new MCSE Core exams, but the amount of information conveyed is still impressive. There are precious few illustrations and a couple of tables, so this book isn't for the visually oriented, but that generally doesn't detract--except when it comes to explaining NTFS permissions and how they stack, where the lack of a table or two is sorely felt. All the major features of Windows 2000 Pro are covered here, and should serve as an excellent review. And, as usual, Coriolis has done an excellent job of providing a small wealth of end-of-chapter questions, which unlike many of the "just-hit-the-shelves" certification guides contain tough questions on a par with what you can expect to see on the exam. Pass the end-of-chapter questions and the quiz at the end of the book, and you're almost guaranteed to pass. Aside from that, there isn't really that much to say--for less than 30 bucks, it's a must-have for any potential test-taker. Click that "buy" button now. --William Steinmetz
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