The Essence of Databases

Rating:
Summary: Very good introduction to databases!
Review: I teach databases to people with very different backgrounds. This book, although it looks a bit thin for such a large field of study as databases, gives almost everyone a very good, and a surprisingly thorough introduction.

It is correct, clear and well structured, with good examples and exercises. If you have some academic experience, it will do well for self-studying. Databases is not a light subject. It is not something you get to grips with without going through some rather heavy theory.

Rolland tells you what you need to know, without complicating things, and without oversimplifying important but rather technical details.

Rating:
Summary: Solid introduction to databases; excellent value for money
Review: I used the book as a self-study guide to help understand the essence of databases....the book delivers on what it promises. I would not recommend this book to a serious student what wants to learn how to program databases (it could complement more extensive books). However, for someone who needs to understand the database world at a technical level of detail (e.g., be an intelligent collaborator with database specialists rather than a manager), the book is a useful and solid introduction. There is little extraneous material or discussions to distract, and the book's small size makes it easy to stuff into a briefcase and read on airplanes.

Rating:
Summary: Solid introduction to databases; excellent value for money
Review: I used the book as a self-study guide to help understand the essence of databases....the book delivers on what it promises. I would not recommend this book to a serious student what wants to learn how to program databases (it could complement more extensive books). However, for someone who needs to understand the database world at a technical level of detail (e.g., be an intelligent collaborator with database specialists rather than a manager), the book is a useful and solid introduction. There is little extraneous material or discussions to distract, and the book's small size makes it easy to stuff into a briefcase and read on airplanes.