SQL For Dummies at Dominant Systems Book Store

This is the rare case of a book that can take you from a beginner to an advanced-intermediate level. Like many of the books in IDG's Dummies series, this volume begins with a definition ("What is SQL?") and ends with "The Part of Tens," a collection of tips in a top ten list form. Taylor writes in a breezy, entertaining style that SQL novices will find inviting. One caveat: The examples are given in Borland's Delphi, a rapid application development (RAD) tool. Some sections show several screen shots from Delphi and it may be difficult to follow along in these sections if you don't have the program in front of you. As with other Dummies books, SQL for Dummies is entertaining to read although the nonstop jokes may distract some readers from the technical content. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews & Comments
The last time I worked with databases, my entire computer (RAM + mass storage) had less than one MEGAbyte of memory. No hard disk, just two 360 kB floppy disk drives and 128K of RAM. I just got saddled with a data-mining project that will process tens of gigabytes of data in a networked environment. My analysis tools can use SQL to access the data. This book was the first thing I insisted on. (Kind of embarassing for a senior person to be seen carrying a thick yellow and black book with the word "DUMMIES" on it ...) This has proven to be an excellent starting point. I know plenty about computers and programming. I vaguely remember the essentials of relational databases (for those who don't, basic information is in the book, it should be enough to get started, even if you are absolutely ignorant!) Taylor packaged enough of the right information that I could read his book over the weekend and dive into the planning stages of our project on Monday sounding like I knew a thing or two. The book charts a course from the most basic elements of databases to modestly complicated database and query materials. The author discusses common pitfalls and useful strategies. This book isn't enough, by itself, to turn somebody into a database wonk, but it's a great starting point. I got a bit annoyed by some of the "cute" material used to make the subject seem less threatening, but that filler doesn't take up too much space and is easily skipped. Also, the book is overly Microsoft centered--the author uses Windows applications as examples and champions Microsofts ODBC. A section about using SQL in a Unix/Linux environment should have been included (access from shell scripts, PERL, etc?). A solid four-star introduction to SQL and database technology in a Microsoft world. (If you'd like to discuss this book or review in more detail, please click on the "about me" link above and drop me some email. Thanks!)

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