All topics are covered in quite a lot of details. So it's certainly not only a high level discussion of a specific topic.
The prerequisites are to know a bit about XML and Java. I don't think more is required to read the book and implement the examples.
Best regards,
Tijs
Remember to always leap before you look. But always take the time to smell the tiny ads:
a bit of art, as a gift, the permaculture playing cards