The book is a constructive contribution to substantiate software
engineering as an engineering discipline on its own. It represents
compiled knowledge gained over years in an attractive and appropriate
manner.  

Mainly, the book is being divided into four parts: I: Envisioning an
architecture, II: Creating an architecture, III: Analyzing an
architecture, IV: Moving from one system to many.  

As one can cognitive from its structure, the book reflects a
systematic engineering thinking and acting.  It covers import issues
like the construction of quality into software products, gives
guidance for decision makings, and integrates the interpretation of
the architecture-based approach with latest technologies
(J2EE/EJB, etc.). The book is especially valuable for its addressing
of the construction of new software products out of prefabricated
software components and for covering software product lines.  

Not to forget about the helpful examples provided throughout the book:
The idea to abstract common experience and knowledge by ordering and
generalizing structures of technical artifacts is common to all
technical disciplines and an engineering habit. Thus, the illustrated
examples and presented case studies are very helpful following the
content and intent of the book.  All in all, the book helps to
understand and to apply what the architecture-based approach stands
for: gaining and keeping the bird's eye view over very complex,
virtual structures, and empowering the overall decision maker with
both, means and skills of abstraction and communication. The
introduced concepts and methods are to understand as well as their
application. The depictured graphics and the illustrated code are
readable and assisting the reader following the article.  While
applying architectural frameworks, building block technology, meta
data specification, etc. the article reflects software engineering
principles and approaches. 

Of course, much dispute exist about the term "architecture".  Actually, 
the term "architecture" (latin: architectura) has been created to be 
a super term for "Construction Style" as well as for "Construction 
Art". Thus, the term serves the order and the generalization of 
structural relationships in products ("Construction Style") as well 
as the tools, techniques and technologies for the building of the 
products ("Construction Art"). "Construction Style" refers 
to the structural knowledge, "Construction Art" to the operational 
knowledge.  The interpretation of the inherit term "architecture" 
for software products, would have brought the book one step closer 
to cover an engineering discipline.