Customer Reviews

Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP CBK ((ISC)2 Press)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have read 4 books in my preparation for the CISSP. The All-in-One, Official CISSP CBK, CISSP Prep Guide, and the CISSP Exam Cram. This along with numerous study guides and several online courses. My overall comment is that I expected more from this book. It is extremely verbose and does not seem to "flow" like some of the other books. (Probably because it is written by numerous authors). The test questions at the end of each chapter are poorly written. It also seemed to lack some of the critical details I found in other books. The best overall guide I have found so far is the All-in-One (no big surprise). The official CISSP CBK did not provide any significant details you cannot find the All-in-one and it lacked details in several key areas.

I attended a 6 day boot camp that provided this book as pre-study prep tool. NO ONE in the class even cracked it open, and all (including the instructor) far preferred the Shon Harris book(s).
The material doesn't have to be this dry. But boot camps feel obliged to provide this one because its by ISC2, and perceived as 'more official'.
BTW, always keep in mind... the purpose of the books and classes you may take is to get you through the exam. You HAVE to squash the frequent "but that's not the way it is in real life" thoughts.
When in doubt, put on your 'management' cap and answer from that POV, not as a techie.
One last thing... stay away from on-line test quizes... they'll destroy your self-confidence, which you can't afford. They're more often than not exercise in "hey, dig how smart I am and how obscure a question I can write." Stick to questions in this or Harris' books.
BTW, I passed. :)

I cannot recommend this book. Each chapter is written by a different author or authors. Some of those chapters are extremely good. Others are very poor. In fact, portions of the book are the most difficult to read technical text I have ever seen. In those areas, gleaning the information needed for the CISSP exam (or any other purpose) is difficult at best. Also, there are some significant accuracy errors in some places. I really believe your money is better spent on the Shon Harris CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, Third Edition.

Update: I just passed the CISSP exam in June 2008 and I think that my review is pretty accurate but I wanted to add one more thing of value. The questions from the CD included with the book are spot on in the style and difficulty of the questions in the real exam. In hindsight my best suggestion is to use the Shon Harris as your main study guide (due to the better explanations) and use this book as a supplement (for some details that Shon misses and for the questions on the CD).

Review: If you want to get book to prepare your for the CISSP, this is a good one. Since it is from ISC2, you know it will give you everything you need and it maps to the new sections of the test (Tip: Be careful when looking at other study guides out there. The exam changed in 2007 and there aren't too many guides on the market based on the new test! If you buy something written before 2007, it is mapping to the old exam and you won't get the latest info on some of the technologies that you are expected to know for the exam). On the bad side it is not as easy to read as some of the other study guides. Since there is a seperate author for each chapter, the writing styles vary a bit. I also didn't like the questions at the end of the chapter, though the CD questions are better. On the good side, the actual reading material is straight to the point and only about 700 pages. The remaining pages of the book (approx 300) is a comprehensive glossary of terms (very useful).

If you like something that is easier to read, the Shon Harris All-in-One Study Guide puts things in a simpler fashion but it is over 1000 pages (a lot more reading). (4th edition maps to the new sections CISSP Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, 4th Ed. (All-in-One)).

It boils down to what is your reading style. If you don't mind reading something that reads like a college text book, this is the book for you. If you think that reading a text book is a cure for your insomnia or you want to have someone explain certain concepts in a simpler fashion then try Shon Harris. Just be ready to dedicate some more time to her book. It is much longer and she can get repetative.

First, I am an Authorized (ISC)2 instructor, but my comments are my own, not endorsed by (ISC)2.

This book is a major rewrite and improvement over the prior version. The examples are clear, the information is up to date (at least up to the printing date; things are sure to change). It makes a great supplement to the official course and would also be useful to those trying to do it on their own.

For those that don't know, the CBK (Common Body of Knowledge) on which the book, the course and the test are all based, is updated each year. This is, to date, the only book that matches the latest CBK revision.

It lists the 13 contributors and their credentials; all are well known experts in their fields. By comparision, the competitive titles are written by one or two people who have the impossible job of knowing everything.

If you only get one book, get this one.

Remember that ISC2 rewrote the exam in 2007/2008 - I'm not sure that this book is the most up-to-date version of their exam guide. Do your homework, which I can see you've already started by reading these reviews.

New changes to the test are also forthcoming - do a google search or check out the Shon Harris blog on Amazon.

Best of luck in achieving your certification!

This book's publishing date is Nov 2006, whereas the latest one available from ISC2 is Nov 2007. I want to know if this is a typo from Amazon or Amazon really doesn't have the latest volume, and this can only be bought from ISC?

As a candidate for the CISSP exam (two weeks, wish me luck!), I have to say this is the WORST book on the subject on the planet. Probably in the galaxy.

It manages to combine meaningless buzzwords, incoherent dense prose, self-contradiction, and total unreadability to the point that your time will not only be completely wasted, you will wind up knowing less about any given subject than when you started. It is impossible to express how useless and counter-productive this book is without resorting to language not in keeping with reasonable Amazon guidelines. As useful preparation, you would be much better off reading PJ O'Rourke's political satire.

If you are studying for CISSP, look at the "for Dummies" book, Shon Harris' most recent revision, or the new Stewart/Tittle/Chapple Study Guide, all of which are useful and reasonably well-written. Avoid this book like the plague. I have given it one star only because zero is not an option.

PS -- I passed! My views on this book remain unchanged: a grossly overpriced doorstop. Some reviewers have called it "academic prose"; if so, the standards of academia have deteriorated substantially in the decades since I was a college teacher.

This is a great overview of the CBK, presented by experts in each domain. The quality is good overall, but some of the chapters are a little choppy and contain typo and consistency errors (these are few and far between, though). The material is presented as a scholarly writing (as it should be) and isn't really appropriate for someone brand-new to the security field. This serves as a great reference guide for a CISSP (especially for the wealth of references in Law and Ethics domain).

I got this book because the ISC2 representative said it is the Bible for CISSPs. While it certainly is all that, some areas need to be clarified (or at least get another book).

There are quite a few errata that readers need to pay attention, which can be found in both the tome and the exam CD. Love the questions on the CD, I wish ISC exam writers would follow the same thinking.