1 comments about Introduction to Relational Databases.

1. This is an excellent book. The explanations are clear, to the point, and illustrated by great examples. The only book I've ever seen that explains relational database design clearly AND shows how to implement it in Oracle. Outstanding! Best purchase I've made in a long time.

5 comments about SQL Server 2000 XML Distilled.

1. The people who wrote this book have a great deal of real-world experience using these technologies, and it shows. While the SQL Server product documentation and the first generation of SQL Server XML books are great for giving you a categorical treatment of the features, this book emphasizes the techniques that are proving to be most useful while providing experience-based warnings about potential pitfalls in other techniques. It's also great for getting perspective on pros and cons when you are designing something that could be implemented in multiple ways using SQL Server XML.



2. This is what a technical publication should be. The book covers all aspects of SQLXML, from programming to administrative issues (including security concerns -- everyone needs to do more of that). It even discusses some of the other technologies out there, such as Oracle's integration with XML and the native xml datatype. If you are using or thinking of using SQLXML, I'd consider this book to be required reading.



3. This book is technically competent, but goes right past the two most important factors; if you are developing XML, then you will probably be using Java, and that if you are developing applications (even with XML) on SQL server, then you are probably using COM+. Sorry.



4. This book is an excellent addition to the documentation provided with SQLXML, especially if you are just starting to use SQLXML. The book helps you decide if SQLXML is right for your situation. If it is, the book will continue to walk you through some real examples, covering some of the pros and cons of different methods. Being a developer, I highly recommend this book if you are using or considering to use SQLXML in a Microsoft environment.



5. This book covers all the gaps that exist in the XML feature list provided on MSDN and TechNet. The examples are succinct and to the point and the text is very well written. The examples in the book clearly illustrate the point that the author is trying to make and the common pitfalls are documented very well as well. I had always had difficulty in understanding XML features in RDBMS and this book helped me a lot to overcome those fears.

3 comments about Oracle Database Administration Concepts & Implementation Made Simple.

1. The way the oracle concepts have been presented in the book is awesome ...



2. I am satisfied with this book as a gentle introduction to Oracle database concepts.
   
   However, this book is not a 'bible'. You will need to get a different book for detailed coverage of topics and for use as a reference. But if you read this beforehand, you will have a leg up on the very dense DBA books/classes out there.
   
   Of particular value is the step by step guide to downloading and installing Oracle database; something that is just taken for granted in most books. It also covers Oracle from both a WinNT & Unix perspective.
   
   I am only giving 3 stars because the grammar and diction in this book is awful. Absolutely awful! Many readers will find this distracting and loose the benefit this book could provide!
   
   Here is a very ironic example (he is trying to explain networking protocols as equivalent to human language): "Protocol is nothing but the 'grammar' e.g. right now I am using the English protocol to speak with you and you are understanding whatever I am saying since I following English grammar by default. Imagine if I stop following grammar rules than it would be really impossible for you to understand what I am saying. Similarly, when two machines (computers) talks with each other, both of them have to follow the grammar (protocol) of the language (TCP/IP)."



3. The difficulty in using Oracle 10g is exceeded only by the difficulty in understanding its manuals - and this goes for Oracle's entire product line as well. The author is obviously trying to fill an important need: Demystifying Oracle 10g for beginners. But the grammatical errors means that this book will not (and cannot) be taken seriously by anyone wishing to learn Oracle. Perhaps this is a feature of authors who choose to self-publish or who cannot find a well established publisher for their texts (Apress, Oreilly, etc.) Perhaps in a second edition the author will have found a publisher who can provide both him and us with a more professional product. Neverthless, this is a valiant effort and there is no other book like it. Simplifying Oracle. What a great idea!

No comments about Inside the Minds: The Software Business - CEOs from Sybase, Inc., Business Objects, Quark & More on Designing, Developing & Managing a Software Team/Company (Inside the Minds).

No comments about Oracle PL/SQL : Précis et Concis.

4 comments about XML and SQL Server 2000.

1. In this book, John Griffin has provided a readable discussion of how to incorporate XML into your SQL Server 2000 applications. Starting with a gentle introduction to both XML and XSLT, John quickly moves into incorporating SQL Server 2000 into web applications, including discussion on Virtual Directories, executing SQL via HTTP, and Forms based queries. He then moves onto advanced topics like XDR Schemas and XPath, before concluding with chapters on FOR XML and OPEN XML, which are both important Microsoft extensions to SQL that are explicitly designed to improve the performance of SQL Server 2000 with XML.
   One of the only disappointments I had with this book was the neglect of Web Services, which I would expect would be a major reason for using XML with SQL Server 2000. This is not a major criticism, and might be addressed in later editions of the book. In any event, any serious SQL Server 2000 developer should take a look at this book.



2. XML And SQL Server 2000 provides an informative, comprehensive, invaluable discussion of SQL Server 2000's new time-saving, easy-to-use XML capabilities. Following a brief discussion on XSL/XSLT and DTD's, users will find hundreds of hands-on examples that can be utilized in day-to-day operations in such areas as IIS Directories, http, xml views and xml schemas, openxml, and much more.



3. I haven't finished reading this yet but I just had to put it down real quick so I could tell eveyone how useful this book is. I'll warn you up front, you have to take the time to read this - it is packed with information. The XSLT chapter goes into great detail and takes the confusion surrounding this topic and blows it away. The rest are very informative, too. This book is far better than the Henderson/Soukup Guru's guide. Buy this one and you won't need anything else.



4. Based on the average review scores this book got, I decided to acquire an electronic copy of it through DevX's online bookshelf. After reading this book, I feel cheated. You see, at about the middle point of my reading, I wanted to look up SQL Server 2000's Books Online (BOL) - which comes free with SQL Server install - for details of a certain item. Lo and behold, most of the examples and text in this book closely resembles the BOL's "XML and Internet Support" section. In fact, a lot of the content is almost verbatum copy. In order to make the book look different from the BOL, the author seemed to shuffle the content a little bit and tried to describe the technical points from a different approach than BOL. But he apparently did not do a good job of it. After going through this book, I still feel not clear on a lot of the technical details. So I went back to the BOL and got my questions answered there. It seemed to me that the author manufactured - I don't want to use the word WROTE - the book just to make some quick money. The only merit I'm willing to give this book is its chapters that summarize XSLT and XDR Schema.

2 comments about Oracle9i XML Handbook.

1. I bought this book in order to learn XML and how Oracle implemented it. This book assumes you know XML and Java very well, and glosses over many details. There is no reference for the myriad functions used in the examples so you really have to look elsewhere, like Metalink. I still don't know what book covers the details left out of this one! I will buy it when I find it.

   I must own 8 or 10 Oracle Press books . . .




2. This book cover very little PLSQL developement with XML and the limitations or work arounds for the related problems. It covers more on the java side ...

No comments about The Rational Guide to SQL Server 2005 Express (Rational Guides) (Rational Guides).

5 comments about Oracle 9i: SQL Exam Cram 2 (Exam Cram 1Z0-007) (Exam Cram 2).

1. I am studying to become an Oracle DBA. Gavin Powell's Book is superb! I learned so much from it so far. The author is also friendly and really concerned whether you understand the difficult concepts that a newbiee faces in learning Oracle. Like a gem you unexpectantly find at the beach. Buy this book!



2. As an experienced DBA, I found this book clear and concise. I especially like the accompanying CD with a PDF version of the entire book. I prefer to use an electronic search to find a page in a book, so this really is a bonus to me. The tests in the book and on the CD provide useful, informative explanations for all test questions -- one of the best ways I know to get prepared for the Oracle exams. I have taken the Intro to SQL exam for Oracle9i certification, and this book really does cover the contents of that exam thoroughly. It is an excellent study companion.



3. The book is sorely inadequate as a means to prepare for the OCA exam. Having taken and passed 1Z0-007, I am confident that the outcome would have been different if I relied on Powell's incomprehensive and frequently incomprehensible offering. I see no reason to buy it when the excellent book by Dawes and Thomas is available.



4. Better overall then Dawes and Thomas.
   This guy writes with experience.
   Where Dawes and Thomas is mostly a reprint of Oracle Documentation.
   
   Better in these areas:
   - User setup
   - Single row functions and Group functions.
   Far more detail on topics.
   
   The Book comes with electronic exam, that DOES NOT REQUIRE the CD always be inserted in your computer!!!
   
   Negative: Software does not run on a Mac, you will need virtualization software, like virtual PC to run, but it works.



5. This book is tough to follow. The information is simply listed out, not explained, making it hard to learn. I felt that there was value however in the MeasureUp test on the included CD. For learning Oracle PL\SQL I recommend Oracle9i: SQL With an Introduction to PL\SQL by Lannes Morris-Murphy instead.

3 comments about Oracle9i: SQL, with an Introduction to PL/SQL.

1. I had almost given up hope that I would never learn SQL until I bought this book. It is the first non-study guide I have come across on Oracle SQL. It actually has exercises for you to do so you can see if you really understand what you are doing. Although the Bijou Thomas Study Guide is good, you really need a textbook. And this is it. I really understood joins for first time! Surprised more people don't know about this book. It is superb!



2. What are you thinking of SQL? Is it a difficult language? I thought the answer is "NO" until i bought this book. Or you may think whether it is a language? I also told you that it is really a language and is fourth generation language, which is English-like language and you use such languages just by telling it what you want to do, not necessary to specify any actions. That's OK!!!
   
   I think the author spent so much time to construct this book and revised it many many times. I saw there weren't many errata in this book and the construction is great. It is very easy to read and to learn just following the chapters one after another.
   
   It is also great for keeping it as a reference for your studies or on your jobs. It is comprehensive showing all the things in SQL statements and each function that any elements are included. It is clear to show all necessary or optional symbols for the use in retrieving data from database.
   
   I think if you have ever learnt SQL and you think to start learning SQL, you should buy this book for your first step starting to learn SQL.



3. I liked this book. Coming from SQL Server 2000 to the Oracle environment, I had a lot of questions. This book covered the subject material completely without over-coaching or being too simple.
   
   It was an excellent read and a book that I refer to often. Well written.