Joe Celko's Data and Databases: Concepts in Practice

The author starts with saying: "This book is a collection of ideas about the nature of data and databases". Perhaps this is the reason that it is a bit chaotic, there is no red line throughout the book. But I found some of the sections very interesting, like the data structures and relational tables. I would recommend the book to everyone who would like to explore the ideas behind relational databases and who wants to become a bit more advanced. But do not take it for granted all he says. Some of it points are discussible and everybody can have his own opinion, like the use of intelligent and surrogate keys. I like surrogate keys very much. Users always want to change their typing errors, no matter if it is the primary key and has some child records attached to it. There is one thing I do not like that much in his books. His likes to show that he knows a lot or knows where to find it, without any use for the book. This irritates me a bit. For example, why on earth list the axioms of intuitionist mathematics. I suppose I am one of the few readers who heard about intuitionism before and it is of certainly no help in this book. It is not there for the purposes of the book! Or another example, section 1.2.2 tells a bit about bad math. He tries to show that reporters cannot do simple math. But why does he assume there is a linear relation between weight and burned calories? May be there is a fixed amount of calories that you always burn, no matter what you are doing. I am not an expert on calories, but his logic of showing somebody's errors is not always correct. The correct answer for this calorie problem should be: we do not know and the 'proof' of the reporter is wrong. This does not mean the proposition is wrong! Another mathematical error, he writes that: "The idea of a limit is that there is a value that the sum never exceeds". Well, this is the definition of a upperbound. In case the function is non-decreasing the smalles upperbound will be the limit, it is easy to proof this. Of course, this is not a math book, but if you use the techniques you should be correct.However, still a nice book to have and Joe mailed me always back when I had a remark or question. This care deservers one extra star!

There are many, many SQL books in the market. Very few good ones. And even fewer excellent ones. This is one of those few outstanding books which not only teach you some of the basic concepts but also to think. Readers of common trade books may get disappointed by its style, because it is simple but deeper and these readers expect the ABC of the other books. But please do persist and it will eventually change the way you think about databases and consequently the way you work and think about what you do and how you do what you do.

This is to the Beginners Whom Complain about something they know very little about:I often wonder why people assume that an introductury book should start with the first lesson. Consider: should a book on Introductory Theorical Physics begin with addition and subtraction. I have worked with databases for 20 years and have invested thousands of hours in learning my craft (pay attention: LEARNING my craft). With today's promises of how to become this or that in 21 days, it's no wonders why many beginners are dissatified. Beginners should begin not start in the middle or the end and expect to accomplish something. Joe Celko's books are for people who have begun to accomplish and takes them to better accomplishments with the investment of thosuands of hours of learn time - not simply for the quick buck! . Like my example about Theoritical Physics, it teaches THEORY concerning advanced physics and beyond and makes an assuption that you can add and subtract (even with the word introductory). If you're not sure about normalization, relational theory (or relational algebra as it is sometimes called) or database theory, or how SQL works under the hood and you want to learn ... then learn how to add and subtract before you try to solve the riddles of the universe. (A word of advise: as you are learning ... keeps those riddles close in your mind). And by all means quit showing your IGNORANCE by critisizing those whom have deidicate their lives to a lifetime of hard work and study for the benefit of the rest of us poor mortals. Humble yourself because I am here to tell you that your knowledge is NOT THAT GREAT! Quit moaning about 'it doesn't makes sense' or it 'rambles from one theory to another'. Instead LEARN. If something in one of Celko's books don't make sense then continue your research until it does. As with all things you LEARN to MASTER. It takes TIME, PATIENCE and HARD, HARD WORK. Nothing is EASY until YOU MAKE IT THAT WAY! Remember fractions in the six grade ... seemed confusing and difficult. A few weeks of hard study and attention to detail brought out the SIMPLICITY of them. Everything is easy after you KNOW IT. Getting to KNOW IT is HARD ... but also FUN ... if you have the RIGHT ATTITUDE. Failure in the computer industry is strictly about nothing but the WRONG ATTITUDE. JUST SO YOU KNOW ... Celko's books are CALCULAS to the professionals and not just FIRST GRADE MATH. Next time you want complain ... tell yourself you know nothing ... because the truth of the matter is ... YOU DON'T! And for those in the COMPUTING FAMILY whom wish to learn and not complain (myself included), whether you are a beginner or a master keep ON COMPUTING by sharing YOUR WISDOM for the BENEFIT of all MANKIND.Now For Joe:When I buy SQL Manuals I search for one name ... Joe Celko. My SQL techniques have improved to the point that I am doing things with SQL that people around me say can't be done. It's not becaus

Joe's book is great. It has everything for the most part that I was looking for. My only wish is that he would go further into some of the topics, but then he wouldn't have any information for another book. A good suppliment to this book is "Database Modeling & Design" by Toby Teorey. I think the two are a perfect marriage. I've been reading around "Introduction to Database Systems" for some time but now that I've finished Joe's book, I think I'm ready to tackle it.

The theory and discussion of SQL FOR SMARTIES has been moved and expanded into this book. This is more philosophy than technique.