Rating: 

I ordered a copy of this book and was pleased with it.

For the intended audience, this is the best O'Reilly book I have read. It clearly describes the SQL language so that new comers to databases can quickly learn the language. As with almost all technical computer books it is a little dry in reading, but compared with other books covering the same material this book is much more readable.

The example database is available online (through a script) so readers can practice with the book’s examples and even experiment on their own. It is complete enough to allow complex queries without adding layers of complexity that would confuse. Students can download from Microsoft a trial version of the SQL Server database and play to their hearts content. I would have added an appendix that explains the database layout and the design decisions for the layout, this would help with the transition from using a database to the next level of designing a database.

Each chapter ends with review questions and exercises, so the student can gauge their progress and understanding. The questions represent a reasonable level of expected learning for the student to achieve. I would like to see answers to the questions in the book or available on the Internet.

In summary, this is an excellent book for students wanting to learn the SQL language. I presented the book to the customer and they plan on adopting it for their course.