Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com
Summary:
The author uses an interesting didactic innovation that every textbook writer should consider imitating: Instead of illustrating ideas with microprograms, which are good for almost nothing except illustrating the idea, Pratt develops two examples throughout the entire book. By the time you complete this thin but comprehensive volume, you will have completed two real databases. The book also contains embedded questions so you can check whether or not you've grasped specific concepts before proceeding to the next section. Pratt's extended case studies show how SQL programs can be layered on one another other to slowly build up functionality. As such, it serves both as an SQL language manual as well as an example of how to create relatively large SQL codes. This book does not make specific reference to any particular SQL implementation, so it can be used with any standard SQL engine.
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Rating:
A good introduction to SQL
Customer Rating:
I bought this as the textbook for a 1 credit class on SQL at the local community college. I knew a little about SQL, but this book is a decent reference source without a lot of filler. It is certainly not a COMPLETE reference - anyone looking for a no-holds-barred SQL reference should not buy this book. I think it is a great intro for a beginner, though.
Good for SQL beginners
Customer Rating:
Good resource for getting started with SQL language. However, I didn't like that it tries to make Oracle, MySQL and MS-Access to look alike when talking about SQL language. It should have mention SQL Server instead. Also the exercises at the end of the chapters have too long answers, specially if you have to deliver them as part of a course. The sample database have to many rows to answer the questions. It should be minimized to 2 or 3 rows max for each answer, and forget about too many SELECT * FROM whatever with no WHERE at all or WHERE everybody meets the criteria.
My Favorite of 9 Books I Purchased to Learn SQL
Customer Rating:
I am a beginning student of databases, and bought several highly-rated SQL books on Amazon (SQL Server Unleashed, MS SQL Server Database Essentials, Welling's MYSQL Tutorial, SQL Queries for Mere Mortals, Learning SQL, the SAMS 21 Day book, etc.) This one has been the most helpful for purposes of learning query language. The "databases" topic is really several different topics: database design, database administration, how to make your particular software work, querying, and more. Many books try to cover it all and get very thick and confusing in the process. This is a great book for learning and more importantly PRACTICING query language. SQL is best learned by DOING, so the practice exercises at the end of each chapter, which start easy and build to the more difficult, are just great. Early in the book you create 5 simple tables that the author uses for the examples and exercises throughout the book (there are also two additional simple databases that have chapter-end exercises throughout the book). You're not constantly familiarizing yourself with new data, which frees you to focus on learning new skills. I recommend using this book in conjunction with a database design textbook (the author has written one that I haven't seen but is probably good; I happened to purchase the Rob/Coronel book which is good) and an installation/configuration/administration type book that will help you navigate your software (for example, MS SQL Server Database Essentials -- choose a book that matches the software you will be working with).
This is a skill-building book rather than a reference book -- if you really work through it, you won't need it as a reference ever again because it is possible to absorb and retain everything it offers. Query language is deceptively simple, so even though this is a beginner book, it will take you to an intermediate skill level.
Excellent for beginners
Customer Rating:
I have used several editions of this book with nary a complaint from students. The book uses real, honest-to-goodness, standard SQL. SQL is a standardized language, but the 900 lb. gorillas in the market like Oracle and Microsoft refuse to follow the standard. If you use some flavor of Microsoft Jet SQL or Oracle, this book will be of use, but will not teach you all of the "extensions" that the big SQL players have made in their proprietary versions of SQL. Still, pretty much all of the code in this book will run, even from the bone-headed SQL prompt in Microsoft Access!
As other reviewers have noted, this is not a general DBMS book, although good design principles are followed. If you want a relatively short and comprehensive introduction to DBMS, I recommend Pratt and Adamski's _Concepts of Database Management_ 6th ed. There are many outstanding DBMS books out there, but Pratt and Adamski is the arguably the briefest. The chapters on normalization are very good--very practical with very little set theory. I regard database design as little more than applied set theory, and if your set theory is weak, Pratt and Adamski is the book for you.
great service not so great book
Customer Rating:
The delivery service for this book was excellent..no doubt about that. The book itself was confusing to navigate through, and it lacks material
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