sql

This is a fantastic book for people who need a crash course in SQL Server 2K. The information is presented in a style that gives the reader the "bottom line" on how to perform a task, with enough information to explain what the reader is doing and why.

The book is also well-written, so if the reader is learning SQL Server on one's own, the reader should struggle very little.

This book also comes with a 120-day evaluation of SQL Server 2000, so the reader can easily perform the hands-on exercises in the book, as well as experiment on one's own.

Will this book make you a maven of SQL Server 2K? No, but this book will give you the information that you need to be a SQL Server Database Administrator.

This is a well written book that covers a lot of topics...in the end you'll have a very clear understanding of SQL Server 2K from both the administration and programming perspectives.

I disagree with the other reviews posted on here about this book being too wordy or poorly organized. Perhaps those folks work for Oracle :-) There is a lot of material covered in this book, and for the most part, it's concise and doesn't adopt a condescending attitude towards the reader.

In my search to learn SQL Server, I've found this book to rank at the top for general coverage of most of the DBA and programmer/user topics you encounter.

Worth your time to read, and money to spend.

This is a very poorly written book. It wastes thousands of words telling the reader what it is going to tell you...and then...after all the build up...it doesn't tell you as much as the built-in SQL help files. The writing is often obtuse, and sometimes cryptic. Microsoft's on-line help gives more information, more concisely. This book does not live up to SAMS books reputation.