5 comments about SQL Server 2005 T-SQL Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach (A Problem - Solution Approach).

1. This is the book that I consult most often, when there is something I want to accomplish quickly and easily. There is a lot of SQL Server 2005 specific content here, and most major aspects of SQL Server are covered at a decent depth. Very highly recommended.



2. I think this book is a good addition to your bookshelf but I was hoping for a little more. The price is right and the breadth of topic coverage is fine. I just want more "recipes"; that is more examples showcasing each topic with variations on how to use different commands and techniques in my SQL code plus best practices for developing a SQL Server databases across an enterprise software system.



3. This is a great book to keep at arms length. It has many great examples of the T-SQL commands and syntax. I use it most oftern when I find myself asking the question, "How do you use that command?". Subject matter is complete and includes the XML extensions to T-SQL.



4. Background: Professional developer with 20 years experience of application programming and embedded development who is recently learning SQL / SQL Server.
   
   I was looking for a solution to a problem and found it in the online text included in this book. The solution saved me about 2 hours of research, so I went ahead and bought the book since it had already paid for itself.
   
   It has since paid for itself many times over.



5. Great, convenient reference: I usually check it before turning to Google and MSDN, and so far have found it to be a sufficient, and far-easier-to-navigate, resource.

5 comments about MySQL Stored Procedure Programming.

1. It walks you through writing, maintaining, and debugging stored procedures. It can be used as a reference and tutorial.
   I found Part IV Optimizing Stored Programs particularly useful.



2. This book has an excellent coverage of the MySQL 5.0 stored routines (stored procedures, stored functions and triggers).
   But it also provides with invaluable hints and guidelines for general MySQL practices.
   
   The book starts with PART I: covering the syntax and rules for stored routines. This part is straightforward and a very fast read. The authors tend to repeat themselves on occasion, though only when relevant.
   
   PART II looks more closely at the particular rules for stored funtions and triggers. It also offers a transaction managing chapter, which describes transactions in MySQL in general, and in stored programming in particular. This chapter is very informative.
   
   PART III discusses the use of stored routings from external programs: PHP, Java, Perl, Python, .NET. The authors establish their view of correct usage and provide with general recommendations.
   
   In general, these three parts cover the stored routines material.
   However, here comes a nice surprise: enter Part IV, which is a real gem.
   This last part of the book discusses in depth MySQL query optimizations, indexing methods, performance issues, most unrelated with stored programming.
   Why? The authors explain (and I agree with them), that most stored routines code will usually have SQL queries DML statements in them. It is their opinion, then, that to write good, efficient, stored procedures, one must be aware of how MySQL optimizes and handles complex queries.
   I am not new to MySQL, yet have learned quite a few new things from this last part.
   The book ends with a "best practices" chapter, which mostly provides summary for all issues discussed in the book, including some general recommendations for best practices in programming (which could have been left out, in my opinion).
   
   All in all, this book is certainly a very good reference for anyone wishing to write stored functions/procedures/triggers in MySQL. The authors certainly have a strong expertise on the subject, and have a lot to tell.



3. Being fairly new to MySQL (but not to programming) I needed to develop an application using PHP/OOP with MySQL and stored procedures. This book is pretty concise and got me going quickly. At the time, I searched the Amazon book offerings and also books on the shelf at Barnes & Noble. This book is the only one providing clear and concise material on the subject.
   
   I do wish the coverage would have been more detailed using PHP data objects (PDO) in combination with stored procedures that use various combinations of INPUT, OUTPUT and INPUT-OUTPUT parameters in addition to exception processing, etc. That would have been great but then, this isn't a PHP book. Too bad most PHP books seem to focus more on the basics of the language and don't delve into the weighty matters of real-world commercial application development.



4. The good: I found to book to be generally useful. The approach the book takes is good. Lots of examples are provided along with a good amount of explanation.
   
   
   The not-so-good: There seem to be quality or editorial issues with some of the examples. When I run them through the query browser in MySQL version 5 I have problems with some of them. For example Example 2-7 calls another procedure new_salary, which doesn't seem to exist by that name in the book or on the website. This makes it much more time consuming for a newbie to actually run and digest the examples than it should.



5. I have been working with MySQL for several years as a database back-end for Java, Ruby and C# programming projects. After upgrading to version 5, I have been meaning to look into MySQL's support for stored procedures.
   
   The MySQL Stored Procedure Programming book was my first read on the subject and I found it quite useful. It covers not only stored procedures, but also functions and triggers, collectively called 'stored programs' in the book. While there are many books on MySQL, this book is dedicated to the stored programs domain and provides a lengthy treatment of the subject.
   
   During the introduction, the authors provide a veritable laundry list of MySQL resources including many books and websites. The basic tools for creating stored programs in MySQL are visited and help set the groundwork for a 'read, type in the example and run it' feedback loop. Throughout the book, the examples are clear and easy to follow.
   
   The introduction is followed by a brief tutorial, highlighting stored procedures, functions and triggers. What follows is two sections of chapters, over 200 pages in length, diving into the details of the stored procedure language fundamentals, blocks, conditional statements, iterative programming, error handling, the creation and maintenance of stored programs, transaction management, MySQL built-in functions, stored functions and triggers.
   
   The next section of the book is of particular value to software developers that use MySQL in their applications. Over 150 pages showing you how to use MySQL stored programs from PHP, Java, Perl, Python and .NET. The Java section even shows the basics of using stored procedures with Hibernate and Spring.
   
   After that, you'll be greeted with a 110 page medley of options to help you optimize your MySQL stored programs. The subject of tuning your SQL is addressed over the course of three chapters, from basic through advanced tuning topics. Additional optimization techniques such as reducing network traffic with stored programs, optimizing loops, recursion, cursors, trigger overhead and more are found in the final chapter of this section.
   
   The book closes out with a chapter on best practices in MySQL stored program development. MySQL Stored Procedure Programming has earned a space on the MySQL shelf of my technical library. It's a fine book that will help you take your MySQL programming experience to another level.

5 comments about Microsoft® SQL Server(TM) 2005 Analysis Services Step by Step (Step by Step (Microsoft)).

1. I was extremely disappointed. The book appeared to be a good one but it was just a waste of money. I was not able to attach the database file to do the practices. I do not recommend anyone buying this book.



2. I am not sure why some people had problem following the examples or used the CD. I haven't had any issue except write-back excel example in chap 10 and some mismatched data in chap 9 (account dimension). The book is very helpful in building your understanding by working the examples step by step. It explains most concepts in SSAS clear and interesting to learn. Right after I finished the book, I was able to utilize the knowledge in a small scale SSAS project. Even now I have purchased and studied several other SSA books, this is still the book I enjoy the most.



3. I ran into a problem early in the book in Chapter 3 going through the Schema Generation Wizard. I went through the steps and it said cannot find the matching TimeAttributeType. Now I'm stuck!



4. If your goal is to actually learn something about Analysis Services and OLAP cubes / datawarehousing, I wouldn't bother buying this book. Well, the first chapter brought some insight to the topics, but the rest of the book is really a step-by-step - point-and-click tutorial in the Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS), and the SQL Server Management Studio. The chapter about MDX left me more confused than before.
   
   If your goal is to get a simple datawarehouse and cube up and running, with the least amount of insight, it might do the trick. (But where's the fun in that...)



5. Execellent Step by Step book
   I dont know what all the other reveiws are whining about. M.Anwar states book is boorley written. sb poorly. sigh. Bottom line is the book gets to the point, covers the main topics, and for just 384 pages, (400 is a stretch) does not contain any fat. It usually does a great job in explaining the topics covered. I had a problem with ch6 - aggregrate function - ByAccount , but probably just my fat fingers getting the way. The CD does come with answers, so help is available. The Glossary may be sparse but is very functional. The index details the topics well. I made a few manual entries, but what is perfect. It is better written than most tech books I have. And W.Salkin states book has (no .ldf). not true. I had isses reading cd on my computer so I installed on another computer, copied files and continued on just fine. And Jon Anderson - the book does state on the title - "Step by Step" , does explain the steps very well, at least to me. you're right, MDX can be confusing, and it was a little hard to grasp. page 188 states that unless you're creating a custom report generator, you'll probably have little occasion to write MDX, BUT, knowing will enable you to understand clearly what the subquery is doing. And K.Johnson - had problems with ch 3 Schema Gen Wizard. I did not, Kind of surprised, but had problems elsewhere, but just looked at the answers folder. Wole Babalola had database attach problems. I did to but once I got past it, found the book to be very very good. would be nice to have a web site to download code from. This is an execellent book to get you started, and show you the 101 steps of ssas.

5 comments about Sams Teach Yourself PHP, MySQL and Apache All in One (4th Edition) (Sams Teach Yourself).

1. This is good for those who have incredible amounts of patience and like solving problems. The setup alone took at least three hours and a lot of searching on Google. Many important steps are left out (such as how to add and use a database from the MySQL command line, how to configure PHP to support mysqli, and how to configure Apache properly to support PHP.) The PHP functions used in this book are the mysqli_* family and require special setup in the php.ini file. There are no instructions however to set this up. Without this you can't write any SQL programs.
   
   There are also numerous typos in the code. It's obvious that none of the code in this book is actually tested to see if it works. There are simple things such as variable name inconsistencies and function typos that throw off the whole script. When you're new to a progamming language these aren't easy to spot.
   
   Overall, however, there is still plenty you can take from this book. If you have the patience the problem solving will probably cement the concepts more solidly in your brain because you will be figuring them out for yourself.



2. I am stuck on chapters three and four and can not continue with this book. I could not get Apache to work with PHP. In the "Troubleshooting" section of the book on page 58 the solution to getting Apache to work is this: To solve this problem, you need to stop the running server or change the Apache configuration to listen on a different port. Well, if you know how to do this, buy the book. If you don't, you are forever suck and can't continue with the rest of the book. I tried to change the ports and address as suggested in the book, but it didn't work. Be sure to read "Who Should Read This Book" in the introduction section of the book. I probably don't have the required experience to work the material in this book.



3. Like some others who left reviews, I'm a complete beginner to coding, php, mysql, and apache. Given that, I found the installation utterly confusing and spent three days unable to get past chapter 4 where the real content is. A tip for others like me, skip the manual installation. The author cautions about using pre-configured instances of the software, but I found WAMP5 to be a life saver. It's pre-configured and comes in an MSI file. However, as much as I hate to admit it, the struggles I faced in trying to follow the instructions did teach me a lot about the basic configuration, even if that wasn't the author's intent. Since then, I've found the content to be good and am gaining a fundamental understanding of the tools. I know this won't be the end-all php, apache, mysql bible, but it's a good place to start.



4. "PHP, MySQL and Apache All in One" is a good way to begin learning those technologies. It is simple enough and has lots of visual examples, code examples, tables, figures, etc to break down bigger concepts into manageable ones. Also, its an easy read. I normally don't rate anything perfectly, but I couldn't think of any reason why I wouldn't give it 5 stars. I must add though that I may be biased since I wasn't a beginner to PHP or MySQL and used this textbook for a grad course.



5. This is a solid book if your looking for information on the relationship between Apache, MySQL, and PHP. This is not a beginner's book, nor is it advanced. Rather its purpose is to explain how these three components work together, the combination of which is if not the most popular then close to the most popular basic framework used on the web. For example, all Wordpress blogs are based on the PHP, MySQL, and Apache setup. Plus, all three are free and can be easily setup on your own computer for development purposes.
   
   If you're looking for a singular focus on one or two of the three, then you'll be disappointed. If you do not have any or very little experience with the web, then go buy a "for dummies" or an explicitly labeled "Beginners" book.
   
   If you want to gain a solid knowledge on the Apache, MySQL, PHP framework, this book provides an excellent explanation with sufficient in-depth focus on each and how they relate to one another.

5 comments about PHP & MySQL For Dummies 3rd edition (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

1. I own this book, personally I think its awful. The way it is structured doesn't seem to work too well for the purpose. I read the entire thing once and still felt like I knew nothing. I found some tutorials online easier to follow and the lack of working examples didn't help either. Perhaps if it we're written by a programmer and not a professional author it would have been easier to follow. It didn't help me much however you be the judge and read it for your self maybe you'll find it more useful.



2. I've read many Dummies books, and like the "Monkey read, Monkey see, Monkey do" approach. This monkey learns better when all the steps are clearly shown and executed in the text. Unfortunately, this book is more like "Monkey read, Monkey lost". For example, Chapter 4, "Building a Database". The author describes 2 sample databases then discusses the various operations (queries) that can be performed on the databases without detailed, step by step instructions along the way. With some trial and error, the steps can be deduced, but this can be very frustrating and may not always work.
   
   p.s.: Janet Valade has written several beginner books on PHP/MySQL. Maybe, eventually, she will get it right. She is so close...



3. I liked this book and it's great for starters. The book had minimal errors. You learn how to program complete projects. When you're done with the projects, you are off to the races coding your own projects. I e-mailed the author and recieved a reply! The author cares about her work and it shows in this book. Happy coding and welcome to the PHP world never to look back...



4. The title of this review says it all. I bought my first copy of this book in 2001 and when I lent it to a friend, I couldn't wait to get it back so I bought another copy. Although not for the novice (despite the name) this is a good resource for people who are not professional programmers. To get the maximum benefit from this book, you need a basic knowledge of programming in general, but with that capability you can follow the text to get where you want to go.
   
   There are some good examples of how to use the concepts covered in the book, and the information can be used in order, or by need (the author even tells you that the book is designed this way).
   
   From this text, I was able to build my first web application, just the way I wanted it and this is just a hobby for me. Highly recommended.



5. This book really got me on my feet. I had never programmed with server side languages before and this book taught me everything I needed to know. Now, I'm a professional web developer and I make pretty good money.

5 comments about Microsoft SQL Server(TM) 2005 Integration Services Step by Step.

1. if you are a first time visitor to SSIS, I think its a good book. It could definitely have been better but if you need to really practice on real life scenarious, it covers them well. There might be some instructions here and there which do not exactly mirror to the latest version and not sure if those were typos vs beta version but since the SSIS interface is so intuitive it's not as bad and this book really gets you upto speed in very short time.
   If you are a totally new to the SSIS world, I would recommend it.



2. Terrible CD companion. Most samples have errors, don't run as installed due to incorrect paths and missing connection strings and database auth's. Very frustrating book to learn from if used as a STEP by STEP as the title indicates. Seek a different learning source.



3. I have a project to create a data warehouse, ETL the data and report from the new data warehouse. I have no SQL server 2005 experience at all. But after I read this book and follow the book step by step. I was able to create my DW ETL data to corresponding DIM and Fact tables and created my reports from my DW correctly without any problem. This book has very clear concepts and very practical steps. If you like to learn-by-doing on SSIS. This is the book does it all.



4. I found this book to be quite informative. Given that I am a first timer to SSIS, there were some useful examples. There could have been more substance around the Datawarehousing part of the book. The examples provided on the CD were shockingly packaged. There were files missing and incorrect CD's. This is disappointing given that I bought this book because it was a Microsoft Press publishing.



5. I agree witht the previous readers that the book was hastely done without any thought for quality! A lot of examples from the book differ drastically with the examples in the cd.(and even with the electronic copy of the book that came w/ the cd!)
   
   I tried to salvage the situation by visiting MS Press for some errata announcements, but i was even more confused in the web-maze that they hyperlinked me to.... to no avail (surprise, surprise!)
   
   If you have a limited budget on reference books... dont buy this one.

5 comments about Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services (SQL Server Series).

1. As a professional consultant for microsoft, I know what a good book on SSAS look like and this book is a great book compared to many other ones. I want in depth coverage for the saavy professional so I bought it and read it cover to cover. I used this as a reference guide when I'm stuck on some design issues. This book has helped me delivered many projects for large customers.
   
   I wish we have a new version for SSAS 2008 !!! (the author informed me that he's considering it !!! and this is great news).



2. I have read 3 SQL 2005 Business Intelligence books and this one is the best by far. For one, it provides a working sample SQL 2005 Business Intelligence Project Solution. This solution is a predesigned HOLAP. The OLTP database is also provided.
   
   The level of expertise of the authors is very high. They go into granular detail on the architecture of the SQL 2005 BI (but not as much as I have liked). They also go into details on how one can improve the performance of SQL 2005 BI. Administration and security features are also covered. It was little weak on ETL (SSIS) but that topic has few thick books of its own.
   
   SQL 2005 Business Intelligence is very different (conceptually and architecturally) from its SQL 2005 OLTP counterpart. It is not an exaggeration to say they are completely different products integrated into one. If you have no previous BI background, then expect a steep learning curve.
   
   I highy recommend this book for anyone who is interested in learning SQL 2005 BI.
   
   Here are the contents:
   
   1)Introduction
   2)Creating Multidimensional Models
   3)Using MDX
   4)Creating Data Warehouse
   5)Bringing Data into Analysis Services
   6)Analysis Server Architecture
   7)Accessing Data in Analysis Services
   8)Security
   9)Management



3. If you must, avoid this book. Looks like they threw in all chapters in a bin and did a pot luck. No flow whatsoever. Only good for quick lookup. But then you have MSDN. I am utterly dissappointed



4. I came from the world of Hyperion Essbase and decided to switch to Microsoft SQL Server Analysis services. The SQL server books online seemed to be lacking in some details (or examples) and other SSAS printed books seem to be more of the beginner level books or step by step tutorial books. They are good to start with but not deep enough. If you are just starting in the BI and OLAP world, get those books first.
   
   This book is not a general BI book and is more specific to SSAS details. Because of my prior understanding of of data warehousing and OLAP, I was able to build SSAS cubes in no time but there were some lingering questions on how do I do this in SSAS (compared to doing it in Essbase) and other low level details. This is the only SSAS book that I found so far that goes into enough details of SSAS that no other book goes into.
   
   If you are just starting with Microsoft BI and need to learn the concepts of data warehousing (star and snowflake schema), OLAP, ETL and SSIS, get one of the other books first. Then do the SSAS books online tutorials. Once you are ready to dig deeper into SSAS and build enterprise class analysis services cubes, this book would be a great help.
   
   Here is a quote from Nigel Pendse of The OLAP Report in the foreword of this book:
   "This book is not intended to teach new users how to use Analysis Services 2005; it is for technically competent implementers who want to make the most of Analysis Services by understanding how it really works..."



5. I bought this book because I was facing a few specific problems while implementing Analysis Services. This book did not help much there. As I was reading, I found that this book does have great content on the design of MS-AS2005. It's a great reference book to have handy because it consolidates information in one book and often describes the motivations for certain designs. Likewise, the book never discussed the significant missing feature in the product, nor workarounds to handle some of the very common requirements. That, while not surprising given the authors are from Microsoft design team, is not helpful.
   
   Ultimately I don't regret buying this book, but don't expect it to solve many of your challenging problems. The materials in this book should have been included in the original product documentations!

5 comments about Oracle PL/SQL For Dummies.

1. This book has a lot of good technical data, but it's not well organized for learning, more of a reference. Also, it assumes you are already an experienced SQL programmer.



2. I am very pleased w/ the purchase of the book. If your goal is to learn PL/SQL quickly and comprehensively, this is the book to buy. It covers all the fundamentals you need to know about PL/SQL and it is excellently written. I have been a developer for 20 years in many languages. Learning new languages from overly technical books and writters, I find, often times make your learning process slow and ineffective. I took this class at Oracle, but there were topics that the training manual and the instructor did not do a good job presenting. This book clarified many of the topics I that were presented in class in a simpler, clearer, and more effective manner. I highly recommend it.



3. Fantastic text for beginners in PL/SQL. Clearly laid out concepts and samples, and hints at naming conventions and other standards to be used. A very solid introduction to the language.



4. This is absolutely, hands-down, the worst computer-related book I've ever had the misfortune to read. It's also the first "For Dummies" book I've read, so it may be the fault of the series rather than the book.
   
   The book is poorly written and poorly edited. There are errors in the code examples and numerous inconsistencies in the text. The book doesn't really say anything except, to paraphrase, "There are many things that you should know, but they're beyond the scope of this book. Check somewhere else."
   
   I bought this book based on the recommendations on this page-- my mistake. I'll never buy a "For Dummies" book again.



5. Easily one of the best programming books I've ever bought, in my life. I can't tell you how many strange programming assignments I have been able to pull off because of this book. From cursors to clobs and whatnot. Everyone in the office thinks I'm a wizard because of this book. It is also a very good reference book with great examples anyone can pick up easily. I agree, with one of the reviewers, not really really a beginners book, but if you write PL/SQL for about 3 months this should be an indispensable resource.

5 comments about Inside Microsoft SQL Server(TM) 2005: The Storage Engine (Solid Quality Learning).

1. Most SQL Server DBA's I know who have been working on SQL Server 7 or 2000 for any length of time usually have a copy of Kalen Delaney's "Inside SQL Server" sitting on their desk. For SQL Server 2005, that book has been split into four different books and it looks like all them are going to be must-have's occupying large swaths of book-shelf space across the planet. Because, the fact of the matter is, if you want to know the internals of the new database engine, this is your source.
   
   Comparisons between this new book and the previous books in the series seem inevitable. From that type of comparison, I think that this book comes off very well. Removing the TSQL processing and other aspects of development from the book allows Delaney to drill down into every aspect of how the server works. She takes a very structured approach, showing how to install SQL Server before moving on to the Server Architecture and Configuration chapters. She covers database and database files, logging and recovery, tables, indexes, and locking, each in separate chapters, each in a great degree of detail. She takes the time between explaining how things work to suggest best practices for configuration and usage along the way. Scattered throughout are also Tip's & Notes that suggest alternatives to the topic under discussion or implications of the usage of a particular topic.
   
   This is not a book from which you can easily learn basic SQL Server skills. So much time is spent on so much detail, invaluable detail for the experienced user, that the novice might get stuck in the mire. I personally don't find that to be an actual detraction from the book. In fact, I'd recommend that if you're just learning SQL Server 2005, you pick this book up in addition to some other, more general, tome, because from here you can learn the why's and wherefore's of what you're trying to do.
   
   The Forward to the book says one of the most important things about this book and it bears repeating, "This is not a revision of the previous book. So much has changed and there are so many new features that Kalen had to write a brand new book." Reading through this book, that becomes clear on every single page. Nothing appears to have been regurgitated from the previous books, but each and every screen shot, description and code example is written for 2005.



2. Great book. Very informative and in depth, especially if you are looking for not only logical database structure but actual physical information. This book covers exactly what it's title states, the sql server 2005 storage engine.



3. I've been following this series since the days of Ron Soukup, and Delaney once again does not fail to deliver and impress in this latest edition.
   
   This book is part of a four part volume set (the 4th still awaiting publication at the time of this review), which previous to this release was contained in one volume. This shows how much more information is being published on SQL Server 2005, and gives Delaney the opportunity to focus on select topics and go into far more detail when covering them.
   
   This book contains a perfect balance of material appropriate for the topics being discussed: (configuring SQL Server, logical table and log structures, internal file structures and management, the many available locking mechanisms). For topics not relevant to content of this book, Delaney frequently refers to the other books within this series and in particular the book on query tuning and optimization she is still working on.
   
   Having now read a few volumes on SQL 2005, I can confidently state that Delaney does not waste pages regurgitating material that's either unrelated or unnecessary to the topic being discussed, but instead I found her insights and knowledge transfer unique to this book and worth the time learning.
   
   Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone seriously wanting to learn SQL Server 2005 at a higher than basic level. You will not be disappointed.
   
   NB. My only negative on this book is that it begins with 3 pages of acknowledgements listing technical colleagues, editors, friends etc that helped refine the book to what it is, but just within the first few pages there is an "xxx" placeholder in the text that hasn't been updated, a reference to a companion CD that was dropped from publication plus other technically incorrect statements. In fact, there are so many editorial errors throughout the book that there is a significant page on www.insidesqlserver.com dedicated to documenting the corrections. All books contain errors, but it was just painful to see so many after reading through the myriad of people that helped "perfect" this book. On a positive note, kudos to the author for acknowledging the problems and publishing the corrections.



4. This book is perhaps the best book out there for understanding SQL 2005 architecture. I know of no other book which offers such advanced understanding of how SQL 2005 stores, retrives, and manages data.
   
   Indeed, the author is a MS SQL MVP and has written with collaboration of those who have wrote the code for MS SQL 2005 at Microsoft.
   
   The author's explaination, however, could be a lot better. For example, here is an exerpt on the author's explaination of IAM (Index Allocation Map):
   
   "An IAM page contains a page header; an IAM page header, which contains eight page pointer slots; and a set of bits that map a range of extents on a file, which doesn't neccessarily have to be the same file that IAM page is in. The header has address of first extent in the range mapped by the IAM. The eight page pointer slots might contain pointers to pages belonging to the relevant object contained in mixed extents; only the first IAM for an object has values in these pointers."
   
   Now, I have worked with databases for over a decade and have good understanding of Indexes and its structure, and I still did not understand what the author was talking about on some sentences.
   
   Pros:
   1)Explains data and index storage structures (Page, extents, B-Tree, Keys etc) and how they are managed in transactions (update, delete, insert) better than any book I know.
   2)Relatively short book (400 pages) which does not waste words or sentences to make it a thicker book (common practice to write a thicker book for a higher price).
   
   Cons:
   1)Tries to combine MS SQL 101 topics (What is Master, MSDB, TEMP, and MODEL db?) with expert subject matter (What is IAM, Cluster Keys, RID, etc).
   2)Writing is sometimes indecipherable.
   3)Mostly not for the beginners (despite its rudimentrary coverage of the basics).



5. Okay, reviewing this book is going to be quite difficult. I have mixed feelings however everything that I have to say about this book is positive. For one, this is not for the faint of heart of casual reading. This book is there for those who want to learn the gory details of how SQL 2005 works.
   
   I would describe the book like this:
   You have a car and it is nice and pretty on the outside, and you can do all sorts of cool things with the buttons on the console and you can play music and other nifty things, such as GPS. Well, on the inside of the car you have no clue how it all ties together and what is going on when you push that button.
   
   Well, imagine this book as a blueprint of how your car's innards work, down to the very last oil spot on the engine.
   
   This book is the best down right down to the memory block detailed book I have seen on SQL 2005. Now, the hard part about this book is that it can be difficult to read, and follow, at times. There are several sections you may have to read over and over again just to start to understand what it even means.
   
   If you are looking for a good hard core book on the SQL engine, this is it for you. I give this book a 5 star rating for content, author knowledge and sheer impressive information.

5 comments about Microsoft ® Office 2007 Business Intelligence.

1. The author does a great job of presenting BI in an easy to understand way. I thought the parts on Outlook could've been less lengthy. This guy obviously has incredible depth of understanding on reporting. Over-all, an excellent book.



2. My eyes have been opened to the amazing potential of Microsoft Office 2007 for Business Intelligence. This book is a resource I will use again and again.



3. Executives don't have time to read technical manuals or head off to training for a week - we need something that quickly validates our current understanding and then jumps right in to explain what's useful and how to use it. Brief definitions and hints were good. A real step-by-step manual for using Excel 2007.



4. While I have considered myself reasonably good with Office, this book dramatically increased my understanding of the power hidden in Excel and the new possibilities of presentation. I would highly recommend the book to any government contractor, even if you haven't upgraded to Office 2007 as the descriptive text and easy to follow examples have direct application to earlier versions as well. I've cut my production time dramatically and, more importantly, can 'slice and dice' the data quicker and with better insight than ever before.



5. This book provided a great, easy to understand review of the features of Office 2007. Touched upon pivot tables, performance point, dashboards and scorecards. Plenty of examples were provided. This will definitely help me with implementing executive dashboards at my company.