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Summary: Excellent book that puts it all together
Review: I had been trying to extract information from our workplace databases for several years, and it was a frustrating experience. This book put it all together for me, and I finally understand the complexities. I had tried to learn from many other books, but their focus was on point and click, creating databases, maintaining databases, and creating forms. SQL Queries for Mere Mortals focuses exclusively on what I need to accomplish -- extracting information from existing databases. I use it as a reference often. Now, I can obtain answers to complex questions with a single SQL statement, instead of numerous queries of queries of queries.
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Summary: SQL Queries for Mere Mortals
Review: I have been using MS Access 2000 to develop database solutions for use in sales and marketing departments and needed to go to the next level and develop solutions based on SQL Server, so I was looking for a book to understand SQL queries better and thereby SQL Server. Knowing, that by writing your own SQL queries when working in Access you're able to develop a scaleable application that easily is transferred to SQL Server, the book helped me in this transition since all 5 sample databases included on the CD-ROM is available in both SQL Server 7.0 and MS Access 2000 files. After an introduction to relational database theory and the SQL language in the first 3 chapters, you'll start learning about queries and each of the remaining 14 chapters includes exercises that will train your skills in writing SQL queries. Throughout the book the authors make use of diagrams to visualize the SQL queries, in the beginning they may seem difficult to understand but as you get used to them you will find yourself reading them faster and faster. One of the things I learned the most from was the authors use of a 3-step method to write queries: A simple question in plain English to get the needed information from the data goes through a Translation, then a Clean Up, and finally you've got your SQL. With this method not only do you gain confidence but also an insight into the simple mathematical logic on which the queries are based. To accompany this book and enhance the knowledge you gain from reading it I recommend the following titles: On Access 2000 I recommend John Viescas' "Running MS Access 2000" (ISBN 1572319348), which in my opinion is one of the best books on Access 2000. To strengthen your knowledge on relational database theory and design I recommend: "Inside Relational Databases" (ISBN 354076092X). To learn SQL Server 7.0 I recommend: "Professional SQL Server 7.0" (ISBN 1861002319). Most people are able to develop a database that contain lots of data, but only few know how to transform these piles of data into useful information by using the powerful tools of SQL queries. With the knowledge from SQL Queries for Mere Mortals you will be well on your way to become one of the few.
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Summary: Newby? Read this.
Review: I knew nothing of database design or SQL when i bought this book. This book is a great way to get up to speed with SQL and to learn the fundamentals of relational databases. I've been working on databases for years without having to create my own queries but needed to get up to speed fast (one weekend). Its a little long winded in the first few chapters but once you get into the writing SQL code you'll find the book loaded with practical examples that you can try on your sample databases (cd-rom). one note: be certain to read the readme.txt file on the cdrom or you'll end up 'wasting' alot of time with, like i did :-P
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Summary: A first-rate guide to working with SQL Queries
Review: I like this book! It reads well, and has something to offer to just about every SQL developer, and even (especially?!?) to those people I would class as 'power users'. Its taken a while to bring together and examining different chapters over many months has been 'interesting', it is good to see it finally all together.
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Summary: An Invaluable Resource
Review: I sat down with this book as I tried to bring myself up to speed on working with database design and operation. After reading the "companion" Database Design for Mere Mortals, I tackled SQL Queries for Mere Mortals. While some of the beginning was redundant, it popped me into buiding SQL queries with a ton of examples and hands on exercises. Slowly building your knowledge and allowing you to see how the pieces can stand alone or interlock in the syntax, you are given more and more specific examples to help understand the concept. Is it exhaustive? No. Is it a quick reference? Not really. What it is though is a good reference piece when I'm trying to remember how do write sytnax for a specific query, showing me a real life example, instead of a list of just possible uses. Many references simply give you the generic terms built into one example statement like "Outer Join Table1, Table2 on Field1 [Order by]...." Instead, this book shows you using databases you are introduced to so you see the syntax in action. Since I don't use SQL every day, it's nice to go here to jump start my brain after some time also. A great book for someone getting into database queries, or who works with them occasionally and needs a guide.
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Summary: Excellent book for PostgreSQL developers
Review: I was quite new to SQL but had done some reading on data modelling when I got this book about 18 months ago. I initially read parts of the book and have mostly used is as a reference reading relevant material for solving the problem at hand. The text is well written and so far I have always found clear understandable explanations of whatever I need to known. The index as well as the SQL syntax diagrams in the appendix are excellent. I am working with PostgreSQL and the best thing about this book is that so far every example and SQL construct I have learned from the book has worked well with PostgreSQL. (So - five stars to PostgreSQL too :)
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Summary: Recomend for beginners
Review: I would say it is one of the best tech books I have read. I wanted to learn how to write SQL queries and now I know how to do it. Very easy to read and understand. It has so many hands on exercises that it makes so easy to learn it. I like this idea of hands on practice a lot! Wish all the books would follow this type of teaching. By doing exercises you memorize the syntax of queries like one, two, three. By buying this book I saved money on taking a class with a teacher. With this book you are good on your own. The negative part is CD. You MUST read the Readme file how to install it!!! Because you have to copy files on you hard drive before you can use it. Make sure you have Access 2000 as well!!! If you will ignore it - you are in trouble!!! For those who knows how to write queries in SQL it may not be a good book, will be too simple for you guys! But if you are totaly new - buy it, it's good!
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Summary: I've tried other intro's to the subject, this one beats them
Review: I'm a professional SW engineer of several years, and I program in several languages, Java, C, C++. I used to do embedded work until a couple years ago, but yecently I had to start working with databases and applications. This book was excellent at showing me the construction of SQL queries. It's not meant to be one of those all-inclusive 1,000 page monsters which document every configuration of a database, or how database internals work. This is strictly queries, and had plenty of detail for that. I would combine my purchase of this book with another book specific to the database you may need to work with if you have to worry about doing more than using the database (load balancing, query poooling, etc. are not subjects really covered here).
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Summary: Not perfect, but I learned a lot
Review: I'm new to SQL and don't have any other SQL books, but I found this book to be pretty helpful. The authors style is easy to read for the most part, but at times he gets a little long winded and kind of glosses over important technical points in an attempt to give you the broad picture. Nevertheless, it remains pretty readable overall. Personally, I found there to be a steep difference in the learning curve between the first and second halves of the book. The first 7 chapters are basically skimable material and I think the book would benefit from dedicating more pages to chapters 8 through 14 where most of the real meat is (joins, subqueries, grouping, etc.). Between the sample statements and the problems in the back of the book, there are lots of good examples, and I do feel like a learned a lot of SQL.
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Summary: Excellent for someone new to using SQL Language.
Review: I've got five years experience in the IT industry, but had virtually no SQL experience when I started learning about Databases and the SQL Language. So, I was having a bit of difficulty following some of the other great texts on databases and database programming. I looked for tutorials online, and for tutorial type books. There aren't many. "SQL Queries for Mere Mortals," is an outstanding tutorial for beginners. Not only will you learn how to query databases, you gain a solid understanding of how to use the language to also begin learning how to program in SQL. But, this isn't an SQL programming book. The authors first explain concepts, show you examples and then provide hands-on exercises. Then, they provide problems that you attempt to solve, to test your comprehension, and ability to execute simple and complex (to me) queries. The answers are provided so you can compare your results. It's a confidence building process when you see just how well you're doing. The authors have done an exceptional job. I can only surmise that the few disappointed reviewers have extensive experience (or prejudice) and so are unsatisfied with this great book. I highly recommed this book if you're interested in learning the SQL language and how to query databases (or create views).
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