Dusan Petkovic

I don't do SQL as part of my everyday job, so I wanted to know more about this technology. I chose this book and I was stunned how much I didn't know about SQL.

The author explains many of the concepts using SQL queries and diagrams. He has provided a custom db script with fewer number of records in about 4 tables. I found this to be good to get things going and then the author switches to the AdventureWorks database to illustrate advanced concepts like indices, joins and query optimization.

The chapter on concurrency is highly informative and I am finally able to wrap my head around optimistic and pessimistic concurrency. The book then segues into the various intricacies of transactions.

The parts detailing creation and usage of indices and query optimization are the best sections of the book. The journey of query parsing to its execution is exceptionally written which helps understand table / index scan, index seek, selectivity and column statistics very thoroughly.

The remarkable organization of this book helps clarify the concepts of SQL Server. This is definitely a must read for someone who has just gotten his hands dirty with SQL. Something tells me even experts would refer to this book a few times.… (plus d'informations)