CISSP best and effective books

hawary1984

[FONT=&quot]Hello Guys[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I am planning to start CISSP course very soon but I really confused about the huge number of books available.
I can not decide which books I can study from.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I would really appreciate your recommendation and suggestion[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thanks a lot[/FONT]

CyberCop123

People's views vary.

Ive not started studying but based on recommendations here, I got:

Sybex CISSP book (and test question book) - long book about 1000 pages
plus also the 11th hour book by Eric Conrad - short summary type book about 250 pages

i dont plan on using any other books

I am using the videos and MP3s by Kelly Handerhan - free on Cybrary

Will also do online test questions - not sure which site yet.

...

SteveLavoie

I used 3 books, first CISSP Study Guide by Eric Conrad (not the 11th hour, the full guide), and Sybex CISSP Book to complete.

Finally I used Eric Conrad's 11th hour as a quick summary on the last days before the exam.

MP3 from Kelly Handerhan on Cybrary on my commute. She has the best "get into the good mindset explanation" on the industry, and that's why her video are worth your time.

hawary1984

sounds good to me but what about CISSP All-In-One by [FONT=&quot]Shon Harris?
Also, Is Sybex practice book worth of time? otherwise what question bank book I should use

Thank you guys [/FONT]

CyberCop123

hawary1984 wrote: »

sounds good to me but what about CISSP All-In-One by [FONT=&amp]Shon Harris?
Also, Is Sybex practice book worth of time? otherwise what question bank book I should use

Thank you guys [/FONT]

i have Sybex questions book but haven't used it and can't comment on how good they are yet.

The All in One is meant to be good.

However the sheer size put me off. It was just under 1500 pages. Compared to Eric Conrad which is 650 and Sybex which is 1000 it just seemed stupidly big. I know that's probably a silly thing to consider but I didn't want a physically giant book sitting there staring at me.

SteveLavoie

At first, I started to read All in one.... it was painful until I switch to Conrad's book

I read some part of it. If you are a newcomer to IT and Security, it is a good book, it explain in a lot of detail everything. However if you have some experience, then you will find it so chatty and long... I refered to it after Conrad's book and Sybex book didnt answer my question in enough detail.

ITSec14

Sybex book, 11th hour book, Cybrary videos and Sybex practice questions are all I used.

For me the CISSP exam was knowing the concepts, but also knowing how to mentally approach the exam. Thinking like a manager and not going into the technical weeds helped me tremendously.

SteveLavoie

ITSec14 wrote: »

Thinking like a manager and not going into the technical weeds helped me tremendously.

That's why Kelly's Cybrary video are really helpful. If you dont understand how to put yourself into manager mode after those video, nothing will.

moyondizvo

hawary1984 wrote: »

sounds good to me but what about CISSP All-In-One by [FONT=&amp]Shon Harris? [/FONT]

This is always a subjective topic. I absolutely loved the Shon Harris AIO when I was studying for my CISSP. I liked the detail and if I came across topics that I was already familiar with, I would have a quick glance and flick through.

It would be beneficial if you know your study style, peruse through a few books and see which ones you are comfortable with. The Shon Harris book may seem humongous, but once you get going you will fly through it.

H-bomb

Its already been mentioned, but everyone is going to suggest something different. I would recommend choosing between Eric Conrad and Sybex (Shon Harris AIO is too in depth). Keep calm and CISSP on!

SteveLavoie

I dont think anyone here would say that Shon Harris AIO is a bad book, however it is lenghty and chatty book. You really have the impression that the teacher is in front of you...

moyondizvo

SteveLavoie wrote: »

I dont think anyone here would say that Shon Harris AIO is a bad book, however it is lenghty and chatty book. You really have the impression that the teacher is in front of you...

Brings me to my point earlier, knowing your study style . I was more than happy with the length and chattiness, I would rather have that extra information than less.

Like we have already noted, this is very subjective and requires one to know their style. And if you don't know, sample the books and see which one/s relate more to you.

tkreagan

I stand by Sybex and Conrad - 11th hour, not the full guide.

adamj2281

Just finished the exam today, I'd stick with Sybex, I looked over the Shon Harris book on the free trial on Amazon (which actually gives off a lot of the book), and I prefer the structure of Sybex.

janus512

I used Simple CISSP from Amazon, came out in 2017. It's a good book, but the great thing is that it has an audiobook version on audible.com. Fantastic way to learn in the car when commuting. There is also a companion quiz book that contains a lot of questions with an audiobook version.

greeneon

CyberCop123 wrote: »

People's views vary.

Ive not started studying but based on recommendations here, I got:

Sybex CISSP book (and test question book) - long book about 1000 pages
plus also the 11th hour book by Eric Conrad - short summary type book about 250 pages

i dont plan on using any other books

I am using the videos and MP3s by Kelly Handerhan - free on Cybrary

Will also do online test questions - not sure which site yet.

...

I am with you on this approach. Don't want to overwhelm myself and add confusion to my understanding.

chutuo

Passed last October and found it hard, maybe because English is not my first language|
Before I answer your question, note that the test has changed format | https://www.isc2.org/certifications/CISSP/CISSP-CAT
I read the official Guide|Shon Harris'|Sunflower = Sunflower the highest value on my list.
I watched cybrary videos by Kelly Handerhan
I watched CBT Nuggets Videos by Keith Barker
I watched Larry Greenblatt's Youtube video and they was all awesome, all of them.
I used the Cccure test engine|Cissp app on windows phone| and another 2000 questions downloaded from the internet.
Then I went back to Africa and made good with my ancestors so they can intercede with God on my behalf.
Understanding the material is paramount and if you are not in the industry, you will find it challenging so take your time. It took me a year because I have a family a more than a full time job. If I were to do it again, I would just skip the books, because most of them do NOT work for me.
It is first and foremost, and English Language test if you are taking it in English!