1. The document discusses selecting Mule as an ESB over other open source options like Fuse after evaluating criteria like maintenance, support, licensing, performance, and integration capabilities.
2. Examples of Mule use cases are presented, including embedding Mule in a Java web application, controlling access to endpoints using Spring security, and routing requests to different data sources using Groovy.
3. Best practices discussed include using Mule testing components during development, combining SoapUI with mock services for testing, and taking a staged approach to migrating systems to the new ESB architecture.