Rating: 

Knowing nothing about database design or coding, I spotted errors in the SQL examples (things like the text saying the database under discussion will have a particular field, but no mention of that field in the example code fragment). This makes me distrust the rest somewhat - and it's a pain to try and read the book in parallel with a printout of the errata. (Incidently - why so few confirmed errata? Some of them are patently obviously true, such as the discrepancies between text, tables and code fragments, but they're still languishing in 'unconfirmed'.)

In places it reads like each author wrote a different chapter, and they can't agree with each other. For example, in one chapter we're told that installing from source is best (if you have teh required compiler etc.) because it is more customisable, but in the subsequent MySQL chapter we're told that the vast majority of users should obtain a binary distribution.

On balance, it was worth me buying this book - but only because I got it half price in a stock clearance sale. In its current state it's just too sloppy. If the unconfirmed errata were addressed and the discrepancies between chapters cleared up it would probably be just about worth full price, but it's still not the gem that most ORA books are.