Rating: 
Summary: Great take on XML
Review: The coverage on XML was very very good. I bought this book for the stored procedure information, but found myself drawn to the XML chapters. I read through them and learned a ton. I've never looked at XML the way Henderson presents it. He covers the basics and also covers the advanced stuff. He even presents some workarounds for limitations of the product. I guess my favorite part is the writing style. Henderson presents advanced information in a way that anyone could understand. He's a great teacher, and I learn something new everything I pick up this book.
Rating:
Summary: THE sqlxml book
Review: By reading this book I went from not knowing how to spell xml to being able to build complex sqlxml applications. The introductory chapter on xml is the best I've seen. I went from not knowing anything about xml to being able to code xml documents, style sheets, and schemas. I was using style sheets to transform xml into html in no time. The other chapters on the sqlxml features in SQL Server build on this and teach you how to build sophisticated sqlxml-based applications. I especially liked the inclusion of the sp_xml_concat and sp_run_xml_proc stored procedures that work around limitations in the product. By the time I was done with these chapters, I had a good understanding of what was possible with sqlxml and how to use it. I owe that to this book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent XML coverage
Review: You need this book if: - Your new to XML and want to get up to speed with it - Your a Sql Svr dba or user and want to learn about its XML features - Your a developer and want to get the most out of Sql Svr's XML features - Your a developer and want to learn stored proc authorship from a master All in all the best buy for Sql Svr that there is.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the price for the XML goodies alone
Review: Henderson writes in a style that is refreshingly clear. I found the book very easy to follow. The stored procedure discussions are the best I've found anywhere. The book really delivers by getting into every facet of Sql Server. The best part are the XML discussions. The intro on XML is better than any I've found elsewhere. The subsequent chapters on SQL XML are easy to read, nitpickingly detailed, and very deep. I would have paid the price I did to get the SQL XML goodies alone.
Rating: 
Summary: Weak on XML
Review: The XML information is out of date and disappointingly brief, so I returned this item. For example, I'd like to see more in-depth coverage and examples of XML mapping files, updategrams, and the XML bulk loader. The information about stored procedures, however, is more detailed than any other book I have read. If you want an in-depth stored procedure book, this is the one. Ken's writing is very easy to understand.
Rating:
Summary: Just what the dr. ordered
Review: I was really struggling with xml and sql server until I found this book. This book pulled it all together for me. It's worth the money for that alone. The xml intro chapter is the most to the point tutorial on xml I've found even in whole books on the subject. If you add to this the fact that stored procedure programming is drilled into as are several other relevant topics you have a book that every sql person should read. I also really enjoyed the essays at the end of the book. Very good stuff that I've read more than once. Not specifically related to sql server but still good reads.
Rating:
Summary: A fine follow-on to Guru's Guide to T-SQL
Review: I have Henderson's other book and found this one to continue where it left off. Henderson elaborates on many of the topics covered in his first book (for example, stored procedures) and covers them in lucid detail. The book gets into XML and HTML from SQL Server in fine form and leaves no stone unturned. He also gets into T-SQL as a programming language and offers a number of best practices and strategies for achieving optimum performance. It's just what I would have expected from the author of GG T-SQL and, like that book, is already a classic.
Rating:
Summary: Great book got me up to speed quickly
Review: I was a total beginner when I started with this book. Now I feel very comfortable with SQL Server and stored procedure programming. The expert advise and gobs of code are very much appreciated. This book is like no other that I've found.
Rating: 
Summary: Useless for intermediate or beginning SQL programmers
Review: This book may be useful for someone who has been coding in SQL for a very long time but is not the book to use to learn how to code stored procedures. Very disappointing given the book title. I would not recommend this book for anyone who is not already a SQL expert, though for a SQL expert there is good information in it.
Rating:
Summary: Woth the price for XML coverage alone
Review: I haven't even made it all the way through the book, but feel confident giving this book 5 stars just on the strength of the XML coverage. Henderson does an excellent job of taking a simple HTML page and stepping through how you would logically turn it into an XML document, including DTDs, XML Schemas, XSLT and more. Before I bought this book, I had no idea of the relation of all of those separate files, but it's all clear now. He also goes into great detail about the FOR XML clause, and the different options available. The section about using a universal table with FOR XML EXPLICIT to create complex XML documents is great. Beyond XML, the topics are all great -- arrays, unoducmented procedures, functions and tasks, tips on programming style and efficiency, ...the list goes on. All the while the writing style is very personal and to the point. He doesn't waste space with a ton of screen shots or overly-long result sets. Highly recommended.
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