Rating: 
Summary: Too many errors!
Review: The book is set at a nice pace, is easy to follow and goes in depth about many helpful subjects. But I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated after each noticeable code error or typo. By the time you've finished with Chapter 2, you will have noticed more than a dozen anomalies. Some of them are minor text typos or grammar issues and are easily ignored. But most of them are more serious errors, such as during the important coding sections or the logical mistakes during the chapter review questions. Typos and mispellings way too frequently during the SQL syntax, and I found several review answers to be wrong. With each new error, my faith in the authors diminished and I found myself doubting the validity of their writing. I would give the book a 4.5 if it had few such errors. I lowered the book's review 1 point because all the errors had shattered my confidence in the authors and made me doubt the correctness of their information, and another half point for the pathetic software that came with it (already mentioned in other reviews). Come on guys, this is supposed to be a tech book.. Is it too much to ask for working software, correct review answers and typo-free sections in the SYNTAX part??
Rating: 
Summary: Book is pretty good, the practice tests SUCK!
Review: The book may be very well written, but I am VERY disappointed with your test software! On the very first test that I took (Developing a Logical Data Model), there were SEVERAL errors:Several questions marked the correct answer as wrong, but then in the Answer section, showed the correct answer. There were questions that tell you to choose multiple answers, but then give you radio buttons which only allow 1 answer. Several questions tell you to refer to the figure, where there is no button to get TO the figure. There is no way to close a figure once you have opened it other than moving to previous or next question and then moving back. All-in-all a very poor excuse for programming!
Rating:
Summary: Good starter book but not a complete study guide
Review: This book does cover all of the topics on the exam but not in enough detail. There are several items that are only touched on that require much more detail if your going to pass the test. I was able to use this book to brush up on some things but without my 3 years working knowledge of SQL Server and my 7 years working knowledge of T-SQL along with a good test prep, I wouldn't have been able to pass the test. This isn't to say that the book is complete junk. It does touch on a good deal of material. I'll be keeping the book as a reference for those things that I use very often and the other junior developers I work with. I won't be turning to it, though, if I need detailed information on anything.
Rating: 
Summary: The best book to start
Review: This book was a good way to start studying for the exam. After finishing the book you are almost ready. Maybe the following areas wasn't completly covered: Cursors (it is foccused on T-SQL syntax, other books will describe ADO and ODBC cursors as well). The topic Retrieve, filter, group, summarize, and modify data by using Transact-SQL requires even more examples and more questions. This is a huge topic.
Rating:
Summary: Not only a good certification guide but a good reference...
Review: This books covers the design and development of SQL Server. Alone, it doesn't completely prepare you for the exam, but with some additional practice, you should be able to pass.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Coverage of the Concepts
Review: This books covers the design and development of SQL Server. Alone, it doesn't completely prepare you for the exam, but with some additional practice, you should be able to pass.
Rating:
Summary: Great book to study with!
Review: This is a fantastic guide to the hardest SQL Server test I've ever taken. I would recommend using it to gain the base knowledge and then use a Transcender-type test to see if you retained it. This is a killer test and this book will give you the core of what you need to pass it.
Rating:
Summary: Good Book and Study Guide -- 4.5 Stars
Review: This is a good book which has comprehensive coervage of most of the exam objectives and also important concepts not required by the exam, like extent, page and physical storage of records. There is one chapter devoted to index storage, statistics and fragmentation with some under the hood information. I passed the exam the second time but I don't blame it on the book. Most of the exam questions are case-scenario based and no book will ever cover every possible case. Understanding business logic and creating logical models is a matter of experience and common sense rather than mouth-fed knowledge from books. This book does have its drawbacks. The book must be hastily published and there are numerous mistakes. The proof-reading job was donely poorly. One should go to Sybex's web site to find the correction to these errors. The CD includes two bonus exams in addition to those already in the book. The layout of the options in a question is the worst I have seen. When the options are long, each option is contained in a two line scrollable box. It is impossible to compare one option from the next.
The parts that are not adquately covered include Index Tuning Wizard and using SQL Profiler to create traces, the latter is tested in greater depth in 70-228. On the whole this is a great book for anyone who wants to learn SQL Server 2000 and is recommended as the principal material for the exam. I would give it 4 and a half stars.
Rating:
Summary: Good book, but not very relevant to the exam.
Review: This is an excellent book written at the "professional beginner" level discussing issues of database design and planning with SQL server 2000. Excellent design and configuration tips, Good explanations of difficult concepts, however, the practice tests are somewhat lacking, and while it covers all of the relevant material, the book fails somewhat as a study aid specifically for the 70-229 exam, where many other Sybex books excel. The book is well worth the money as a useful tool for a relatively new SQL 2000 DBA, however, don't rely on it too heavily for the test.
Rating:
Summary: Good book, but not very relevant to the exam.
Review: This is an excellent book written at the "professional beginner" level discussing issues of database design and planning with SQL server 2000. Excellent design and configuration tips, Good explanations of difficult concepts, however, the practice tests are somewhat lacking, and while it covers all of the relevant material, the book fails somewhat as a study aid specifically for the 70-229 exam, where many other Sybex books excel. The book is well worth the money as a useful tool for a relatively new SQL 2000 DBA, however, don't rely on it too heavily for the test.
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