Rating: 
Summary: Nice for PostgreSQL intro, but not a master piece
Review: The book covers the basics of PostgreSQL, but it lacks usefull info for the more avanced tasks like tuning the database.
The 'stored procedure' (PL/pgSQL) chapter was for me the only interesting part of this book for me.
When I bought this I was hoping for the PostgreSQL 'Bible', but it was a big dissapointment.
My advice for improvement for the next release:
- much better index
- drop LXP chapter
- chapter about how to tune (not just SQL statements, but the postgreSQL server itself) and benchmark PostgreSQL.
- a chapter about 'schema' and when to use them.
- extend PL/pgSQL chapter with some 'real world' examples and how to do PL/pgSQL trouble shooting, PL/Perl(?)
- general advice how to manage PostgreSQL on 'day to day' basis
- maybe have a chapter about the SLONY replication add-on
- Postgresql 8.0 features
Rating: 
Summary: Very Practical, Very PostgreSQL
Review: The Command Prompt guys did a fine job of writing this book. It contains basic topics, like retrieving rows from a table, and advanced topics, like session encryption, JDBC, and PL/pgSQL, and everything in between. A very complete SQL command listing is available at the back of the book, as well, for those times when you can't quite remember proper syntax.Furthermore, it covers all the tools provided with PostgreSQL distributions (vacuumdb, etc.) and has a chapter on the included LXP software, which I haven't tried because I don't need it. This text, in conjunction with Programming the Perl DBI, got me from a PostgreSQL/DBI newbie to accidentally memorizing common SQL syntax, writing my own Perl DBI wrapper, and programming some simpler PL/pgSQL functions in about four days. I highly recommend it both as a tutorial and as a reference. Be warned, though -- the index is a bit sparse. Using it as a reference might require putting sticky tabs at the tops of your pages, as I've done.
Rating:
Summary: Very Practical, Very PostgreSQL
Review: The Command Prompt guys did a fine job of writing this book. It contains basic topics, like retrieving rows from a table, and advanced topics, like session encryption, JDBC, and PL/pgSQL, and everything in between. A very complete SQL command listing is available at the back of the book, as well, for those times when you can't quite remember proper syntax. Furthermore, it covers all the tools provided with PostgreSQL distributions (vacuumdb, etc.) and has a chapter on the included LXP software, which I haven't tried because I don't need it. This text, in conjunction with Programming the Perl DBI, got me from a PostgreSQL/DBI newbie to accidentally memorizing common SQL syntax, writing my own Perl DBI wrapper, and programming some simpler PL/pgSQL functions in about four days. I highly recommend it both as a tutorial and as a reference. Be warned, though -- the index is a bit sparse. Using it as a reference might require putting sticky tabs at the tops of your pages, as I've done.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent review of Postgres and Microsoft .NET
Review: The reason this book is so good is that it tells you how to integrate the postgres environment into Microsoft's .NET and into the J2EE environment. Do not pay large sums of money to Oracle or Microsoft. Postgres gives you all the functionality you need at no cost.
Rating: 
Summary: Practical PostgreSQL (O'Reilly Unix)
Review: This book is good for a novice.To fit to the title they gave to the book, there should be more in depth discussion about the architecure of the postgresql. It totally misses the LARGS OBJECTS(LOBs) in this book. I do know that there is LOBs feature in Postgresql. If it hade covered about the applicability of LARGE OBJECTS, their limitation, it would have been better.That is why i gave 3 star to this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book, Learning PostgreSQL a better title
Review: This is an excellent book to begin learning about the most advanced open source database available, it covers the theory and history of PostgreSQL and includes instructions on installing the database server. The authors clearly explain the topics covered in the book, I've given the book to several co-workers who were interested in the book and they also view it favorably. I recommend this book to the person interested in learning more about PostgreSQL or the person who has never used a database server before. This book does not get into the advanced features of PostgreSQL but all in all this is a quality reference and handbook, perhaps better named as Learning PostgreSQL.
Rating: 
Summary: Worst O'Reilly book ever written
Review: This is definitely the worst book by O'Reilly I have ever seen. It is an advertisment for a strange thing called LXP but nothing more. I love PostgreSQL and I have used it for years but this book is absolutely inadequate. It does not go into detail and is absolutely no use for somebody who wants to work with the database professionally.
I cannot recommend this book.
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