No comments about Mastering SQL Server 2008 (Mastering).

5 comments about SQL Server 2000 for Experienced DBAs.

1. I was searching for high availability options while implementing SQL servers. On this subject matter, this book is much better than many of 'mastering', 'unleashing' books which dont even talk about those topics. The writing flow is OK, performance suggestions are better, but, still I feel it is not in-depth for an experienced DBA. I would give a 3.5 for this book. It is a useful book, but not a must-have.



2. It is for beginner without details. I was excited about the title and ordered a copy but very disappointed after I read it. No scenarios, no DOs and DONTs. For that matter, his previous book Admin 911 may be better.



3. I'm not too sure what the other reviewers are talking about. This book was excellent! True, it does skip certain sections. In the intro it explained certain sections were skipped because you should already know how to do things like create a database if you're reading this book. It's not a great book for using as a overall SQL Server reference but it's the best SQL Server book on my shelf for day-to-day administration problems that I can't find the answers to in Books Online. I love some of the advanced topics that appear no where in BOL.

   The clustering and security chapters were my favorite and were farby the most indepth of SQL Injection attacks and clustering attacks that I've ever seen. This book is without a doubt a 5 star book for anyone who has read the rest of the reference books out there and is ready for some more intense info. DBA beginners my not understand some of the topics and think that the author is skipping areas.




4. If you are a DBA then the minimum knowledge that you need is included in this book. All the information in the chapters are necessary. If you were going to an interview and I was your interviewer you would need to aleast be able to answer the questions questions that you can find the answers to in this book. I am a frequenter of the sqlservercentral web site of which Brian is a Co-Founder. It is a great site. I would encourage you to go there and check it out. You can expect to receive the same quality from the site that you can in this book but maybe not the same topics. Great job Brian!



5. What a great reference for DBAs who need to support SQL Server. This is one book that was actually fairly easy to read from cover to cover (given the subject matter), but could also be quite easily used as a reference manual.

   Like all reference books, I was quite pleased to find a really well put together set of appendices. In this final section, the authors discuss system tables (including purpose and schema) as well as undocumented DBCC commands. Perhaps even more useful is a final section on the built-in extended stored procedures available in SQL Server 2000.

No comments about Oracle Database 11g: A Beginner's Guide.

5 comments about Unlocking OLAP With SQL Server 7 and Excel 2000.

1. This book presents a fast and simple way to get familiar with SQL 7 OLAP tools and concepts. There are few details here, but you will be presented with an almost complete picture of the products capabilities. Data warehousing concepts are covered, but again, no detail. Regardless, this book is easy to read, well organized, and the sample data and examples are excellent.



2. Hi, I am Irish. Unlike our friend from the 38th parallel, I can write in English very easily and I'm quite adept at that thar American lingo as well. Therefore, I read this book in a week during me mornin' Guiness at the pub and it gave me the review on OLAP I was looking for. This is definitely a book for beginners and advanced developers as well and quite surprisingly me British bloks were able to read it in two weeks so it must be written well.



3. This is definately a beginner book, and as a beginner book it probably deserves 5 stars. This book touches on many database topics, MS SQL server setup from scratch, ODBC connection with Windows, Windows security, structuring your data in the database, basic SQL syntax, etc.

   Unfortuneately, I was expecting more on OLAP and less about MS SQL server. The information specific to MS Excel and OLAP could be a simple 20 page read from the Excel 2000 help manuals or technet.

   As a beginner book, this is excellent because it gives you step-by-step instructions to set up the examples; however, if you are looking for more detailed analysis or understanding of OLAP, you may want to find a different, more advance book.




4. This is definately a beginner book, and as a beginner book it probably deserves 5 stars. This book touches on many database topics, MS SQL server setup from scratch, ODBC connection with Windows, Windows security, structuring your data in the database, basic SQL syntax, etc.

   Unfortuneately, I was expecting more on OLAP and less about MS SQL server. The information specific to MS Excel and OLAP could be a simple 20 page read from the Excel 2000 help manuals or technet.

   As a beginner book, this is excellent because it gives you step-by-step instructions to set up the examples; however, if you are looking for more detailed analysis or understanding of OLAP, you may want to find a different, more advance book.




5. When I first got this book, I was thrilled with it. After all, opening up OLAP with Excel 2000 is a pretty neat trick. Now, I have seen how bad this idea can be for Internet applications, and the honeymoon is over.
   Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad book. Just because I do not find the book useful for the types of applications I work with does not make it bad. The three stars signifies that it is average, which is exactly what this book is.
   In this plus column, this book gives you a nice introduction to OLAP. While not technical deep, the chapters on setting up your cubes will take you a long way into the world of OLAP. If you are interested in using Excel as your reporting front-end, you will find plenty of screenshots to help you through every step in the process.
   On the downside, the book seems to rely a lot on screenshots and some of the written material is a bit thin. Understanding the purpose of the book, the thin parts are not so glaring.
   Of course, the material is a bit old now, considering that both Excel and SQL Server have moved on to the next version. However, if you plan on using OLAP in SQL Server 7, consider putting this book on your wish list, as it has a lot of good content. I say this esp. if you have not worked with OLAP before.

5 comments about SQL Server 7 Essential Reference (The Essential Reference Series).

1. Ms. Dooley is among just a handful of people who can write about SQL Server at such an experience level. She shares her deep expertise and wisdom gained through hands-on use of SQL Server and real-world implementations. I also enjoyed generous warnings and tips which appeared throughout the book. They make the book fun to read and vividly illustrate technical points. As I read the book I kept thinking, "This is so useful and practical!" Ms. Dooley does an excellent job in presenting the information in a way that is best to learn and remember. Obviously, the author's experience as a prominent SQL Server trainer helped her to organize the book in such a great fashion.

   I recommend this book to a wide range of SQL Server administrators and developers. The book covers SQL Server 7.0, has some mentions of SQL Server 2000, and also refers to older versions that may benefit users who have experience with prior releases. Developers, especially advanced ones, will also benefit from the best coverage of DMO I've seen in any resource.




2. This book helped me when I was moving databases from one machine to another and I had to fix some orphaned users. How many other books would even address this issue? None, I think. Most other SQL Server books seem to be outlines of BOL and little else. This author has obviously taken a different approach, that of a working DBA with problems to solve.



3. Sharon Dooley does a fantastic job in the reference book. This book is the expert sitting in the chair next to you when you have a DBA task to do and you need help. If you're new to SQL Server, this guide isn't for you YET. Sharon Dooley covers the how, the why, and the when. She assumes you already know the what, so learn the "what", and then you'll LOVE this book for many crises to come.

   -MCSD from the NW




4. I had the privelege of working as a consultant alongside Sharon on a SQL Server project in '93-'94, and she was an expert way back then. (I was writing the VB front-end, and new to SQL Server.) She taught me more in the first month I was there than I had ever learned in any job before. She is not only one of the smartest & nicest people I've ever met, she is also absolutely the best at explaining *why* certain things should or shouldn't be done. This is a must-have, must-read book.



5. Without question, this is one of the most outstanding books covering SQL Server Administration I've ever owned. It is written simply with a minimum of word clutter. A majority of the topics are pertinent to SQL 2000 as well as SQL 7.0 (SQL 2000 is more or less SQL 7.5 in my eyes).
   
   I recommend this book to any experienced DBA's out there who need a virtual DBA within arm's reach.
   
   Postscript... I had the pleasure of meeting the author as a student in one of her SQL Server Performance Tuning classes. Sharon is outstanding.

3 comments about Building Microsoft(r) SQL Server(r) 7 Applications with COM.

1. I couldn't find source code for this book on publisher's web site. That mean to test those code I have to type all code myself. If I had know it I wouldn't buy this book. I thought this is commone scense for reader to expect the code is either come with an attached CD or can be downloaded.



2. This was a good book. It is a great guide to SQL 7, and can be used as a good primer on interacting with it. The book explains how to use the wizards to accomplish tasks (important for beginners), as well as how do the same thing with straight SQL language from the Query Analyzer (valuable as a learning tool and a reference). Nevertheless, by the nature of the title, you would expect a lot of COM-related development content. If you count ADO (which I don't in this instance), then the title is justified. There are only a couple of chapters on developing COM objects that interact with SQL 7 near the end. It seems like the word COM was tossed in purely for marketing purposes. So final word on "Building Microsoft SQL Server 7 Applications with COM" is that it is great on SQL 7, but weak on COM.



3. This is a very confusing book. A lot of concepts are explained extremely poorly and I got totally lost after a short while. Get another book from Amazon instead.

4 comments about McSe Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Administration: Readiness Review, Exam 70-228 (MCSE Readiness Review).

1. After reading this book and playing with the included practice test you will be in great shape to pass the 70-228 exam. That's assuming you already have a working knowledge of either SQL Server 7.0 or 2000. If you are not a DBA this review will not do the trick.

   One other note, while the practice test does not include many questions they will prepare you well for the exam. I found them as helpful as any of the more costly test prep products.




2. If you are currently a Database Administrator or Analyst, this book is good at helping you prepare for the exam. However, if you are expecting an indepth resource on the subject you will be disappointed. The only downfall to these types of books is the fact that they give you enough examples to pass the test but not enough real world experience. This book gives you the question, you try to answer and then it gives you Microsoft's correct answer (not necessarily real world). Overall a good book and cd to prepare for the test (rated 3 1/2 stars but not available as a rating). Most likely you will need additional resources to help you prepare.



3. You can't learn much from this book. This book contains only questions and answers(with explaination). That's about all. Nothing much. Don't expect this book will teach you how to install SQL. It will only ask you to refer to book online.



4. I am a SQL Server DBA with two years of hands on experience with the product. I chose this exam as my first Microsoft certification. I passed the exam yesterday with the help of this book and the exam simulations included on the CD. Do not expect to pass the exam using only this book, however, the practice questions were invaluable for teaching me what type of questions to expect as well as how Microsoft expects you to answer them. In addition, the short narratives at the beginning of each section contain quite a bit of concise, useful information. Other than the narratives, the book only contains practice questions and is designed to help you determine your readiness to sit the exam. The CD practice test is very close in format to what you can expect when you take the test. If used in conjunction with other study materials, it will serve you well.

4 comments about The Guru's Guide to SQL Server Boxed Set.

1. If you're thinking of setting up a database to keep track of your local phone book or kitchen recipes, go get something else. (That is, if the price hasn't already told you that.) Note the title: The Guro's Guide. And he means it.
   
   If you're a database developer or administrator using Microsoft SQL Server, get this book today. It would be nice to think that all the big databases met the ANSI standard and were therefore truly portable from database to database and it would be nice to have a Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny. Instead we are left with really having to understand deeply. And this Guru knows what's going on where.
   
   There are three books in this series. I'm more into programming so I found the book on Transact-Sql to be the one that I pick up the most. It's got more stuff on T-SQL than any of the half dozen other books I have, some of which are much bigger. What that means is that the writing style doesn't waste a lot of time on excess verbage. It's tight and concise. And that means not for beginners looking for a lot of this is a database kind of stuff.
   
   But the volume that I need the most is the Guide to Architecture and Internals. I don't use it often, but when I do it is likely to be the only book available that tells me what I need to know at that moment. It's also something you might keep by your bedside. Unless I'm working on a specific problem, thirty seconds and I'm out.
   
   The third book is on Stored Procedures (just in case you want to run faster), XML and HTML.
   
   Conclusion, if you're serious about SQL Server, you can't do any better.



2. I am a database consultant with Microsoft, and would not be without these books. I strongly recommend the boxed set of three books to everyone working with SQL Server. I also personally know Ken, and his overall knowledge of SQL Server and Windows development is tops.



3. I was looking for some SQL Server books to get started on my work to move from Access to SQL Server and these books were just what I was looking for.



4. Guru's Guide offers the best set of information on the marked. It quickly becomes a friend you cannot live without, when approaching the boundaries of the usual coding.
   
   The guide is directed towards the 2000 version, but its transact-SQL examples are just as easy applied to 2005.
   
   With my full recommendations
   
   Guldmann,Denmark

5 comments about Special Edition Using Delphi 3 (Special Edition Using).

1. I own nearly every Delphi 3 book available and my favorite is _Special Edition Using Delphi 3_ due to its unmatched comprehensiveness. _Mastering Delphi 3_ is also good and it is probably a better book for those new to Delphi, but _Special Edition Using Delphi 3_ covers more ground and is thus more useful as a general reference. For example, it is the only book I have seen that covers TClientDataset in detail enough for the reader to harness the considerable power of this new control. If you are going to buy only one Delphi 3 book and you intend to use it as a genearal reference, then this is the book to get.



2. USING DELPHI 3 is not a very good book to get you started learning DELPHI. It seems to just list features and functions without explaining (in a simplified format) how and why. The examples are also incomplete and a little criptic. Maybe others got some help from this book, but I found very little that I could use. Of the 12 books I have on DELPHI the best is MASTERING DELPHI 3 by Marco Cantu, followed by DELPHI UNLEASHED by Charles Calvert.



3. I purchased this book with a view to learning more about OLE and COM which is covered very comprehensively. But I found that once I started reading the other chapters I could not put the book down. Some people have commented that this book is a poor teaching aid. This is not what this book sets out to do. QUE's guide puts this book at Accomplished to Expert level. If you are an experienced, professional programmer who needs an excellent reference book, buy this. You will not regret it.



4. This is one of my favorite Delphi 3 books, as it covers material not easily found elsewhere. This is not a beginner's book by any means. The coverage of DLLs, COM, and threading is outstanding. This is a book for those who want to delve more deeply into the relationships between VCLs and the WinAPI.



5. If you have programmed in another language before, but not Delphi, this is the book for you. After a quick overview of general programming concepts, Pascal data types, etc., it goes into a thorough description of the Delphi 3 language and features. I did wish that it had more info on database programming--5 chapters wasn't enough for me!

No comments about Oracle 9i: Introducing PL/SQL Server Pages with NetObject Fusion.