Learning SQL (Learning)

List Price: $34.95 Discount Price: $19.94

Customer Reviews:

Not for a true novice [Posted on 2007-06-21]
I bought this book thinking I could learn SQL as a true novice. This book is not intended for a real beginner, but for developers/programmers that probably already know at least one language. For a real beginner's book see Forta's MYSQL Crash Course or Teach Yourself SQL. This book, Learning SQL, would probably be your next book.

Only for MySQL, not for Microsoft SQL Server [Posted on 2007-07-19]
Buy instead the excellent book by Ben Forta "SQL in 10 Minutes", which is a bit more simplistic but better.

This book is geared towards an older version of MySQL, ver 4.x. Despite my best efforts, and I have several books on SQL and am not entirely a beginner, I could not entirely translate the MySQL script source code associated with this book to MS SQL Server 2005 SQL.

Also, some of the "foreign keys" in the sample database have confusing names--a minor point but annoying.

Avoid this book, unless you want to use it (as I do) as a training exercise (since I have other SQL books) rather than a book you can learn from.

Only for beginners [Posted on 2008-06-14]
I have been working with some fairly decent SQL from the past 3 years. I wanted to improve my basics and also learn some advanced topics.
This book is good for real beginners and not somebody who is already into SQL.
Apart from that, the content and explaining style of the author is good. I would recommed this book for beginners only.
I wish O'Reilly would tag their books in terms of target readers. like beginner, intermediate, advanced, re-search, etc.
I agree "learning" does indicate the same, but still.

Keiths Review [Posted on 2008-09-15]
Very well written book. However, I really needed the book to learn Microsoft SQL Server and it is more directed towards MySQL, which I do not use. I was a little disappointed in that fact so if you are in the same predicament, take this into account for your purchase.

Good beginner book [Posted on 2008-10-09]
This is a great for those who want to learn mysql. It's easy to understand and the examples are clear and simple and teach you step by step what you need to know.
I just think it would be better to focus on Oracle SQL than mysql and that sometime the book doesn't cover the why and how of certain things that would help understand concepts a little better. For exemple no words when learning contraints about what are in line and out of line constraint, or in a join what are the alias. Also the file they ask you to download is not where they say it would but it's not too hard to find it.
Otherwise it's a great book and strongly recommend it.

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