
he A+ Complete Study Guide, Second Edition is interesting, mainly because it is neither fish nor fowl--it tries to prepare the reader for life in the field, yet ignores some critical new technologies that are pretty much required knowledge. It readies you for the A+ exams, yet entirely skips some of the lesser-tested sections. But in the end, the book becomes a fish with wings, because in spite of these drawbacks, it's engagingly written and astoundingly comprehensive when it counts.
First, the good news: the folks who wrote this book know what they're talking about, and can write rings around most of the other certification writers. Many certification books are written as if you're a Thanksgiving turkey waiting to be stuffed with a miscellany of acronyms and computer facts, whereas the A+ Complete Study Guide actually takes the time to explain things from a repairperson's perspective, giving tips and hints along the way. The book is peppered with real-life examples, reminders of good practices, and history that will help you to understand why things are the way they are today. (They often don't make much sense anymore, but there was a reason for that way back then.) If you're looking for a friendly teacher, this will do nicely.
The end of each chapter is punctuated with a summary and 20 multiple-choice questions, all of which are pretty close to what you'll find on the exam. The explanations given for the answers are terse and don't necessarily tell you why the other Read more...