SQL Server 2005 Books

  • Thanks for the reviews! 

    "I know book reviews aren't the most exciting reading, . . ."  Perhaps not, but when you're attempting to purchase books and haven't a real clue as to what is good and what is not, it can save people both money and time. 

    I would like to see more reviews on good books for certification.

    Thanks again!

  • How did you like the mini-review format rather than the more typical table of contents followed by discussion format?

  • I personally like the mini-review format as I don't always have the time it would take to read a full review.

    If possible or if it makes sense for your "content purpose", I would like know about books that focus more on Administration than Development as my job is based on implementation and support rather than Dev.

    Thanks

  • I see, most of us are stuck on Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

    Bookfinder.com gives us better deals from several vendors for older books like SQL 2000.

    bookpool.com is by and large at least 20% cheaper than BN or Amazon.

    No, and I don't have shares of bookpool.com

    Paresh Motiwala Manager of Data Team, Big Data Enthusiast, ex DBA

  • I liked the mini-review format.

  • Hello Andy,

    Yes, the mini-review format is useful. Frankly, I am happy to see any discussion of SQL books.

    Something I have noticed is that SQL books are extremely expensive on average. Most cost 30-40 dollars (US) and some go as high as $60. So any advice on what each book offers from someone who's trying to be as objective as possible can only help us.

    Having said that, I think this book has been useful to me as someone who has recently become a DBA and who is learning SQL 2005 after years of SQL 2000:

    SQL Server 2005 DBA Street Smarts

    Joseph L. Jorden

    SQL Server 2005 DBA Street Smarts - Amazon link

    It covers a lot of the main features of SQL 2005 and has a step-by-step format that I found very helpful for someone new to SQL 2005. In fact, the step-by-step format used should be applied to other books, in my opinion. The exercises are well organized with the scenario, scope of the task, procedure steps, and criteria for completion neatly laid out.

    I'd be interested in your opinion of the book if you have not posted it already.

    Thanks!

    ---

    webrunner

    -------------------
    A SQL query walks into a bar and sees two tables. He walks up to them and asks, "Can I join you?"
    Ref.: http://tkyte.blogspot.com/2009/02/sql-joke.html

  • I haven't read it, but will order it. I've got a couple queued ahead of it, but I should get there in the next couple months.

    Im ok with books in the $30-$40 range, $60 is a bit high for books that arent on something that is really a long term keeper. Nothing wrong with Bookpool or any other place where you can stretch your dollars. I use Amazon because the prices are ok and they often have used books - and I have the Prime membership that covers shipping. I love used books!

  • Thanks, webrunner.  I ordered the book. 

    I have been trudging through Microsoft's Self-Paced Training book, because I didn't know what else to try.  I hate their books, although this one isn't as bad as some Microsoft messes I've suffered through. 

     

     

  • Not a new lesson, but  as I was working through a couple of the early chapters I remembered how much I hate portions of SSIS. Paths have to be escaped (C:\\blah\\etc), equal is ==, and in some places you address variables by ordinal position! End of rant

Yeah but isn't this only if you are using the old OLE DB style?   I believe the new .NET connector classes did away with this and facilitated direct reference by columnID.  I have to double check to be sure...  Brian Knight if you are reading this, can you chime in?

  • THAT is simply UGLY!  I'm not looking forward to the testing that I'm going to have to go through when we start migrating.

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    [font="Arial"]Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information upon it. --Samuel Johnson[/font]

  • When a review about SQL Server 2005 books is the goal, all the books listed should be about SQL Server 2005.  The 2005 books mentioned were specialized in a single or focused part of 2005.  The "aha"s are good to know, but most of the review was limited to deprecated functions or changed functionality which one would expect most newer books to make a point of highlighting.

    I'm looking for a good book to read from a wholistic perspective about SQL Server 2005.  The two that are SQL 2005 books, in my opinion, don't seem like good choices.

  • A fair point about the last book being about SQL 2000 rather than SQL 2005. As far as a holistic perspective you're right that both the 2005 books are specialized, but then again I wasnt looking to read at the time anything that was general purpose. I've got a couple on the stack that I'll get to eventually and will post reviews when I do.

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