Teach Yourself Microsoft SQL Server 7 in 10 Minutes

I needed a quick way to get exposed to the basics of SQL Server 7.0 due to the nature of my most recent job. Therefore I spent some time shopping, looking for the options that would allow me to achieve this. Price was not my main concern, yet William Robinson's book from the '10 minutes' series by Sams, gave quick answers to most of my questions, in a very nicely structured way: in lessons you can digest 10 minutes at a time. Major drawbacks: it refers too often to a Database you might not have installed in your machine (i.e. if you're reading the book at home in order to apply the acquired knowledge at work), PLUS there is an unnecessary sidetrack in lessons 4-8 (in my opinion). If you're using SQL Server, I don't think you'll be using it as much to interact with Word or Excel. Yet you can easily skip these lessons and the flow will not be affected significantly. Overall, I give it 4.5 stars.

This book actually lives up to its name. It gives a fast and relatively painless explanation of SQL Server 7. It assumes very little knowledge of databases. At most, the prerequisites are a little knowledge of SQL or of a simple database like Access. Web developers will appreciate the broad, yet helpful approach on everything from table creation to stored procedures. This book teaches by giving concise and well designed examples of queries and code. It will explain topics like cursors, triggers, stored procedures, basic SQL, Transact SQL, and even a little ASP. It even addresses some speed, security, and design issues. Any RDBMS or SQL Server 7.0 neophyte needs this book by his side. I would recommend reading this book first, before you tackle any of the other volumes of SQL Server references online or otherwise.

this is a very good book for someone who need to quickly learn the SQL without getting into the details of database design and administration. It is straigt forward and right to the point. A real page turner!

Surprisingly, this is a very good book. I'm about halfway through it, and I've already gotten more than my money's worth. Think of this book as a primer to learning SQL Server. Instead of covering every topic in full depth, listing every possible option no matter how obscure, it covers the most useful ones with concise examples and explanations of what's happening each step of the way. A good example is the chapter on Active Server Pages. I had never created an Active Server Page. Yet, about 2 or 3 hours after starting the book, I had created my first one. And with the explanations given, it was easy for me to change some of the code and understand why it did, or didn't, work. If you've never used SQL Server before, want a good intro to it, and often start off your thoughts with the phrase, "I wonder what would happen if I change this...", then this will be a good book for you.

SQL Server is a vast subject. I was sure a '10 Minute' book couldn't be worth anybody's time or money. But as it turns out, it's just because this book doesn't drown you in details, that it fills an urgent need for an approachable beginner's book.This book gives you the framework and practical understanding so that when you move on to other more detailed tomes you'll know where those details fit in. I'll be teaching both SQL Server 7 certification classes next semester and I intend to recommend this book to my students. It's a great place to start! (an the price ain't bad either ;-)