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Summary: It helps!
Review: This book truly is a jewel. As a student I have to design and implement databases. I love to go to the library and get all kinds of books to solve all kinds of problems. But when I kept finding the answers in this book I had to realize that quality saves time. This book saves time when you do the work. The result will be a well designed database system - or good grades for your database course at university.
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Summary: Wrong Book
Review: This book was very well written in the general sense. It covers all the aspects used to design a relational database from beginning to end. I found the chapter on query optimization quite interesting. It really explained what makes a query more efficient and faster.This book does not explain how to use such database tools as Oracle 8i, and MS Access although they are mentioned briefly. A number of chapters in the text were a little repetitive, they helped to illustrate the theory involved by working through a real world example. All in all this is an excellent text for an introduction to database design course however, this text should not be bought if you are looking to learn a specific database management tool.
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Summary: Massive scope, well written, Great book!
Review: This book will take you from the basics to advanced. Covers tons of stuff (actual page count is over 1000 pp): basic and adv SQL, query tuning, database design, security, ODBC, object oriented databases, distributed systems, relational algebra, security, OLAP and datawarehousing. Its coverage is not skimpy or superficial either. The design chapters are excellent - especially if you're a professional and don't just hack together databases. Also, I found this book easy to read. You won't have to reread stuff because it's poorly written.
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Summary: This book is a great and comprehensive database book.
Review: This book will teach you everything you need to know about databases from start to finish. The SQL sections have everything from the basics to more advanced queries. You really get more bang for your buck with this book!
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Summary: I hate this book
Review: This is the required textbook for a graduate course I am taking in Information Studies. Having been assured by the professor that one needed no math, science, or computer background to do well, I put aside my reservations. But here we are, one month into the semester, with this book as our only teaching tool, and I am failing the course. (I thus far have a 3.93 average in grad school) The bottom line - this book is NOT a good instructional tool, especially not for beginners.
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Summary: Too Generalized & Padded
Review: This was a required text for a graduate course in database programming. Let me just tell you it is WAY too generic. Also, its way too big. It tries to cover everything, but does it in such a boring way. In terms of writing style, it seems to me as if the author is trying to pad as many words as possible to each chapter. He always starts and ends with what he is going to discuss or what he has already discussed instead of just either starting or ending. I wanted to tell him, "Don't tell me what you are going to talk about just do it already." I highly disliked the writing style. However, on a few chapters it was just marginal. All in all I can't wait to sell it back at the end of the semester as it was entirely useless to me in almost every conceivable way. In fact, I found Ben Forta's $12 book on sql far better and more useful than this huge worthless paperback. Throughout the duration of the course, I found myself going to the university library checking out other books in order to find out what I needed rather than this one. Bottomline: I am very upset that my instructor chose this book as it was a total waste of my time and more importantly my money.
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Summary: Good if you've used Access, Approach, etc.
Review: Use a database application before you read this. It's quantitive learning, but still know database basics before you dig into this one...
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Summary: Wide perspective book, without annoying theory.
Review: Wide perspective book, without annoying theory. I would suggest this book to people who are not dealing everyday in db-areas. It's a full starting compendium on db theory, technology, design methodology. The arguments are not deeply explained in detail, but the aim of the book is to give the big picture view. The didactical approach is well organized during the exposition and fulfilled with many examples. The language style adopted is easy, the graphical design gives a soft perception of heavy-weighted arguments. The explanation follows a practical way with few formalism applied even if the scientific rigour is always mantained. I would recommend this book to people who are novice to db world or as a reference in the bookshelf for all IT professionals.
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