Introduction:
The preface says the book is a reference, but not a complete reference. Instead the book is touted as a reference to the cool stuff. The authors note that a complete reference to Java Swing is available from O'Reilly, but it is HUGE, about 1200 pages. It's clear to this reader that you need a working knowledge of Java Swing before attempting this book. It is not for beginners.

The book has twelve chapters with exactly 100 numbered hacks. Each of the first eleven chapters covers a different aspect of Swing, with chapter twelve containing hacks that do not fit neatly into any category. True to the underlying philosophy of Java most, but not all of the hacks are platform independent and all are written for J2SE version 1.4. A few hacks are dependent on open source packages, the authors tell you where to obtain them. Two of the hacks require QuickTime for Java and are freely available from Apple, but only for Apple and Windows. Linux users need not apply. Still, Linux users have 98 other hacks to play with.

The first chapter starts off with basic stuff like labels, buttons and text fields. I found it interesting how much you could Jazz up the look and feel.

Chapters two through seven take you through the various other GUI components, such as Lists and Combo's, Tables and trees, and File choosers and Text. The various components of Windows take up two chapters. Again, lots of ways to jazz up your look and feel.

The next few chapters are a bit more esoteric, taking you through Rendering, a subject I gave little thought to when writing my own code, Drag & Drop, and Audio.

Chapter 12 is a short introduction to debugging, containing hints and guidelines useful for the novice programmer.

The book is rounded out with a chapter on Native Integration and packaging, and a final chapter on Miscellaneous stuff.This last chapter contains some hacks on debugging your GUI that are sure to be of interest to anyone who has spent time trying to find out why his/her GUI is not behaving the way you think it should.

Conclusion:
I did not even attempt to try all of the hacks in the book, but those I did try worked as advertised. There's enough here to get any Java programmer thinking about how to Jazz up the look and feel of their next program. However it's a stretch to say this is any kind of a reference, it's more of a "how to" with specific examples. You really need a working knowledge of Java Swing to get the most from this book. For Swing beginners who want an in depth text I suggest O'Reilly's book "Java Swing, second edition."