Rating: 
Summary: EXCELLENT. This is the BEST generic SQL book I have seen
Review: I have used this book as a SQL reference with SQL Server, Oracle, Interbase, and Sybase back ends with great success. For generic ANSI SQL this book is great for both beginner and advanced topics. Best used however with a vendor specific SQL book also. Many vendors will have wierd quirks to their syntax. Examples in the book are both easy to read and easy to comprehend. I strongly recomend this book to any programmer.
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Summary: Good breadth, typos here and there, buggy software
Review: I usually submit praise reviews but this book was such a disappointment that I had to voice my opinion to balance some of its earlier reviews. This is good book but the authors need to rewrite it to get out the typos in the SQL commands (a big no-no). The Sybase SQL Anywhere Runtime database is buggy and will not execute some of the commands (contrary to the authors' assurances). This book has great potential ... for the NEXT edition. It can be problematic if you're taking the self-study route and your SQL background is zero.
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Summary: Very good introduction to SQL's way of working and thinking
Review: Since many reviewers already said a number of nice things about this book, I won't repeat these. Yet here is one thing that I think I can add: The bookbiz sample database that is used in this book is basically the same one as that comes with Sybase ASE (as a demo example in pubs2 database). While Sybase ASE comes with a thorough "Transact-SQL User's Guide" which explains their SQL language using this sample, it falls a bit short in explaining "the basic way of thinking" that is needed when designing and working with RDBS. This book "The Practical..." is an excellent reference that exactly fills this gap. While it should be good for users of all SQL/RDBS, I'd highly recommend this book particularly to those who are trying to get up to speed with Sybase (like me who's trying to deploy Sybase ASE on a linux box).
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Summary: It's sybase SQL guide
Review: It's a common SQL book. Not better, not worse. But before I ordered this book for my firend for Oracle SQL reference, I did not get informed that this was a Sybase book. Please outline your "comercial" flavor more clearly which will greatly help the real practical users.
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Summary: A "Must Have" for Database Programmers
Review: I've read over 100 books relative to programming and databases - this one ranks inside the top 5. The writing style is a good read, the book is technically correct (and that's rare today...) and each method is linked to a solid example representing real business requirements. If you're new to SQL, you need it. If you're an experienced DBA, you will probably pick up some good pointers, regardless of your RDBMS. If you program databases - this is a Must Have to build, troubleshoot and tune your queries.
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Summary: History, detail, examples, shortcuts...This book has it all!
Review: It reminds and convinces you why you are reading this book in the first place. It sets out to give you a framework of thinking interms of database management and how SQL fits in. It builds on how to implement the language by unleashing what the syntax means in 'straight -plain English'. It gives you many shortcuts and makes you feel an expert in using them through well crafted tutorials. To underlie all this: It uses a language that shouts simplicity and readibility! ...Go figure. This is a book to die for!! A few experiences will ever be sweeter in life. University of Minnesota
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Summary: Book is geared towards Windoze
Review: The free "lite" sybase that comes on CD is only for Windoze (expensive, buggy). If you are using one of the free database engines for Linux (free) or Solaris 7 (free for noncommercial) I would not recommend this book.
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Summary: As Described by reviewers...
Review: I am a student and was looking for a additional resource to go along with my jargon-ridden text book and read the reviews of the book. As a result of reading the reviews, I purchased the book and have found it a wonderful learning tool. My instructor was impressed with the book and mentioned it as a possible supplement to the textbook to my classmates.
Rating:
Summary: BEST BOOK ON SQL
Review: This is the best book on SQL, period. The CD that comes with it allows the examples to be tried out on the sample database, which is crucial in understanding concepts such as outer joins. Much better than Celko's introductory SQL book.
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Summary: This is by far the best book on SQL I've ever read.
Review: The Practical SQL Handbook is by far the best book I've ever read on SQL. Where most books are vague and uses poor example in an attempt to explain SQL, this one is detailed without all the fluf. The example as well as the verbage is easy to understand and more importantly the examples make since. I would recommend this book to all levels of SQL programmers.
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