Rating: 
Summary: Up to date with the released version of SQL Server 7.0
Review: The number one comment we've received from potential purchasers of this book is - is it up to date with the released product? The answer is YES! Rick and I wrote this book during the beta, but took a final pass through just before SQL Server 7.0 was released. Additionally, the second printing has corrections for the 2-3 screens (from the entire book) that were changed at the last minute. You can buy this book and feel comfortable that you are getting the right information about the shipping version of SQL Server 7.0.Rick and I also think this is the best book on the market for accurate, detailed information about SQL Server. As one of the developers of SQL Server 7.0 I have a unique perspective on the product that shows through in the book. If you have any questions as you read through the book, please feel free to email me (or Rick). We're happy to hear from you!
Rating: 
Summary: Overall, pretty good beginner book...but....
Review: This book has way too much focus on the Query commands that can be run...and always saves the SQL Executive Manager GUI examples for last for each section. Only an advanced SQL admin will be running these long and difficult queries from a prompt. For the beginner, it should of been reversed, SQL Executive GUI, then command prompts queries. Who as a beginner is going to be hacking away at a command prompt trying to remember difficult long statements? Nobody except a fool. Furthermore, as with most books, by page 200, I started just flipping through the pages and gave up finding anything real useful for attaching .ASP pages to the database and any real world scenarios. I know this is a SQL book, not active server pages. But when you have a specific need for learning something, you want to skip through the nonsense overboard obscure commands and get to the goods. It never happens in this book. It just bores you senseless with query commands. Unfortunately, I also have a VB 6 From the ground up book that is driving me crazy doing the same thing. I want to build and learn Visual Basic/SQL/ASP and get up and running quickly. This is probably unrealistic to a point, but not impossible. I come from an Network Engineer background, so I am not an idiot, programming is a whole different world as I am finding out. If you want to learn everything about SQL 7 in 21 days, and can put up with the boring command queries, this is the book for you. Also, this would be a good reference book for all of the commands to use to accomplish something with SQL. In all honesty, for what my reasons were for setting up the database, I already had figured out and accomplished on my own in two days, not 21 days.
Rating: 
Summary: Out of Order...
Review: This book is really not too bad to help someone learn about SQL Server 7. The only criticism I have is that the chapters seem to be out of order. The first week of this 3 week book is made up of security concepts like logins and permissions. I would hope that someone learning SQL Server would first want to learn about data types and data retrieval (which comes in the 2nd week). Views, stored procedures, and triggers are in week 3.
The logical order to me is: week one - data types and data retrieval, week two - views, stored procedures, and triggers and week three - login security and permissions.
I think the book would be much better if the security information was saved for the last week.
Rating:
Summary: A great place to start
Review: This work does a good job of showing you how to use the major features of MS SQL Server 7.0. It describes how to install and configure SQL Server, indicating along the way platform-specific constraints and limitations, the implications of configuration choices, as well as recommended settings. It contains many great examples and screen shots, many from a beta release, but the author is up front about that fact. I disagree with the preface which says that this book will teach you how to be an SQL Server Administrator. What this book will teach you is how to use the tools and administrator will use which is 50% of what you need to know. The other 50% will come from on-the-job training as well as other less tool-oriented texts in database design, security, and programming. The cover blurb does better job: Learn the skills and concepts to master SQL Server 7.0 in just 21 days.
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