You're better off buying the Microsoft Press book!
10/19/2007
This is a great book if you are taking the Microsoft Official training in a classroom. However, the book falls flat if you are studying at home because you will need three computers running Windows 2003 Server and one of them has to be configured as a Domain Controller. On top of that, you will need all the batch files and scripts that are only included on the instructor disc. Unfortunately, the instructor disc is NOT included with this book.
So, to reiterate, you cannot do the labs in this book without the purchase of three machines or the purchase of one machine running virtual server running three virtual Windows 2003 Server sessions.
Last but not least, I found the Microsoft Press book (70-290 exam prep) to have over 50% more material than this book had. And so I don't know how anyone can pass the exam by using this book alone. I passed the 70-290 exam using the MS-Press book and the accompanying Exam Cram book.