Database Systems: The Complete Book

I bought this book because it was assigned as the primary textbook for a database course. But I have also consulted this book in courses on data structures and algorithms, computer organization, operating systems, programming languages, and even knowledge-based systems (the section on data mining). The book is not always easy to read, because the material is not easy. The authors write very clearly, and give many good examples to illustrate their points. I like the clean layout of the book. I appreciate that it does not have the gratuitous, gimmicky, irritating graphics and sidebars that some authors of computer science textbooks think they have to throw in to keep us amused.

This book helps you understand how databases works. The second half of the book explains how data is stored (100 pages), how indexes are built (100 pages), query processing (150 pages), transaction management (100 pages), and durability and recovery (50 pages). This is one of the best book, if not the best, on database implementation. The first half of the book is about databases from the user's perspective (e.g. SQLs). Although I was mainly interested in the second half, I found the first half to be an excellent reference on SQL.

Very nice writen for new learners while covers enough aspects to step further. Long because it is from the merging of another 2 books. Recommended as a handbook for new commers to database area.

Very interesting, well written reading. The main problem is completeness: although some new topics are covered, other, more traditional, but fundamental, are not. One simple example: triggers.

Clear. Concise. Organized. Complete. Instructive