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Summary: Best I've Seen on Designing a Database
Review: Access has changed the way the world looks at database programs. Sure SQL was invented by IBM and Oracle, and their products are first rate. But go try to use them to keep track of your collection of whatevers. The graphical front end on Access makes it practical for you to develop a database in a relatively few minutes.
With its popularity have come a lot of books on how to use Access. I have a problem with most of them because they leave out what I consider to be the most important part, the initial design of a database that will contain what you need in an easy to understand, easy to work with, and easy to modify when you need to add features later on. The couple of chapters on normalization are worth the cost of the book. This is as clear and simple an explanation as I've ever seen. Basically the book says: "Think about these things before you start punching keys."
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Summary: Perfect Book for New Access Users
Review: Grover Park George on Access will help you build a real, working database by leading you step-by-step through the entire process. It has a strong emphasis on normalization. If you don't know what that means, you really need to read this book before you start using Access.This book is different from typical computer books you may have seen before. It talks about how to use the objects in Acccess (like tables, forms and queries) to accomplish the tasks a database is built for. In other words, it doesn't talk about queries in a separate chapter; it talks about how to use queries to create reports or input screens, and so on. If you've been confused by thick manuals that speak in computerese, you'll love the author's friendly down to earth approach to teaching Access.
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Summary: New DB user review
Review: I'm self-taught in database use and needed help. This book answered questions about db fundamentals that I did not even know I had. The author takes a difficult topic with a lot of rather abstract concepts and uses commense sense language to explain things. Highly recommend this book for new Access users and more experienced users who need to improve their understanding of real database design and use concepts.
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Summary: Great for non-geeks who just need to get the thing done
Review: This book is designed for one thing - build the database so you can get on to other work. Exactly what I needed.
I'm a non-IT manager and I've used Microsoft Access since version 2. After using this book, I finally think I know what I'm doing. I routinely need relational databases to collect and analyze data, but I don't have the time or interest to master the six-inch thick books on Access that cover the shelves at my local bookstore. Most of them are full of the same rehashed Microsoft text anyway. I've tasted other database programs, MySQL included, but I'm not trying to build the next Amazon.com; I just need to catalog information from various sources and analyze that data to make decisions.
This book was a breath of fresh air! It did exactly what I needed - showed me how to use Access to knock out a useful relational database. Simple need - simple solution - let's me get on with my other work.
The book may work for beginners although some experience with Access will be helpful. There are some minor errors; sometimes the text in the paragraphs doesn't match the text in the graphics, but these only create momentary confusion. Also, although the author states that you can skip around the book, I recommend reading from first page to last as the concepts and sample data the author uses are sequentially constructed.
Summary, if you just need to create a database in a short amount of time, use this book. If you want to make money from the database, go find a guru.
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