The SQL Server 7.0 Handbook: A Guide to Microsoft Database Computing

There are so many books out there that either assume you know too much or try to explain things with ambiguous language. This book is so clear you can't help, but understand the concepts with a first read.Of course, if you want more detailed information and techniques you may find yourself looking elsewhere. That's OK, because I have still never seen a SQL book that takes the time to clearly explain the basics and give you the foundation you need to confidently pursue the more in-depth aspects of SQL Server.

This is a great introduction to SQL Server 7. I am using SQL Server as the back end for a data base backed website. My experience had been with desktop databases like Access or an older UNIX version of Informix and this book brought me up to speed on SQL 7 quickly. This book was the best introduction to SQL Server that I have found. I bought 5 other book on SQL 7 and found this to be the best. The book was easy to read and had the right balance of overview information and detail. It was also short yet thorough which is underated. I think this book has more good info than a lot of books with over a 1,000 pages. A good author will boil the essential information down so the reader doesn't have too.