Unless you are working at a very advanced level, this is the only SQL book you will ever need. The authors have taken the mystery out of complex queries and explained principles and techniques with such clarity that a "Mere Mortal" will indeed be empowered to perform the superhuman. Do not walk past this book!
--Graham Mandeno, Database Consultant

SQL Queries for Mere Mortals provides a step-by-step, easy-to-read introduction to writing SQL queries. It includes hundreds of examples with detailed explanations. This book provides the tools you need to understand, modify, and create SQL queries
--Keith W. Hare, Convenor, ISO/IEC JTC1 SC32 WG3--the International SQL Standards Committee

I learned SQL primarily from the first edition of this book, and I am pleased to see a second edition of this book so that others can continue to benefit from its organized presentation of the language. Starting from how to design your tables so that SQL can be effective (a common problem for database beginners), and then continuing through the various aspects of SQL construction and capabilities, the reader can become a moderate expert upon completing the book and its samples. Learning how to convert a question in English into a meaningful SQL statement will greatly facilitate your mastery of the language. Numerous examples from real life will help you visualize how to use SQL to answer the questions about the data in your database. Just one of the "watch out for this trap" items will save you more than the cost of the book when you avoid that problem when writing your queries. I highly recommend this book if you want to tap the full potential of your database.
--Kenneth D. Snell, Ph.D., Database Designer/Programmer

I don't think they do this in public schools any more, and it is a shame, but do you remember in the seventh and eighth grades when you learned to diagram a sentence? Those of you who do may no longer remember how you did it, but all of you do write better sentences because of it. John Viescas and Mike Hernandez must have remembered because they take everyday English queries and literally translate them into SQL. This is an important book for all database designers. It takes the complexity of mathematical Set Theory and of First Order Predicate Logic, as outlined in E. F. Codd's original treatise on relational database design, and makes it easy for anyone to understand. If you want an elementary- through intermediate-level course on SQL, this is the one book that is a requirement, no matter how many others you buy.
--Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP

Even in this day of wizards and code generators, successful database developers still require a sound knowledge of Structured Query Language (SQL, the standard language for communicating with most database systems). In this book, John and Mike do a marvelous job of making what's usually a dry and difficult subject come alive, presenting the material with humor in a logical manner, with plenty of relevant examples. I would say that this book should feature prominently in the collection on the bookshelf of all serious developers, except that I'm sure it'll get so much use that it won't spend much time on the shelf!
-- Doug Steele, Microsoft Access Developer and author

Over the last several decades, SQL has evolved from a language known only to computer specialists to a widely used international standard of the computer industry. The number of new applications deployed each year using SQL now totals in the millions. If you are accessing corporate information from the Internet or from an internal network, you are probably using SQL. This new edition of SQL Queries for Mere Mortals helps new users learn the foundations of SQL queries, and is an essential reference guide for intermediate and advanced users.

The accompanying CD contains five sample databases used for the example queries throughout the book in four different formats: Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and later, Microsoft Access 2000 and later, MySQL version 5.0 and later, and SQL scripts that can be used with most other implementations of the language.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 9 Ratings

Great, but with a MAJOR caveat! - 2009-04-23
Reviewer Rating:
This book is terrific for database newbies, such as myself, who need to get up to speed on SQL as quickly as possible. But, please be aware of one MAJOR flaw if you are a (insert shudder here) Windows Vista user:

The book includes a CD, advertised as usable on either a Windows or a Mac system, for all of the sample databases and queries referenced in the text. On the Mac side, the files will load effortlessly (natch) -- but, if you are using Windows Vista, your system won't even see the Windows partition on the disk. Strangely, it will see the Mac files, but of course, you can't use them. If you are using Windows XP, however, the files show up just fine. Turns out that the CD is formatted as HTF, and Vista will not read those files. The files are not available online for download (at least as of this writing), so forewarned is forearmed.

Great book for getting you up and running - 2009-09-14
Reviewer Rating:
I took a new job where I needed to write SQL queries, and I had never done that before. No problem, I ordered this (and a couple other) book(s) and in essentially one afternoon I was able to write the queries that I needed to write, and understand how they worked. This book was the one that I used most in learning this stuff, so it gets a big recommendation from me.

This book takes you step-by-step in creating SQL queries. First simply using a "select" clause, then "from", then "order by" and so forth until you are learning how to put together some pretty complicated queries. I definitely felt like this taught me all I needed to know to get started. The book his some nice diagrams that show how the different clauses are put together, which I also found very helpful.

The only criticism that I have for this book, and I dock it 1-star for this, is that the book contains quite a bit of stuff that I consider useless, and just makes it a little more time consuming to wade through it than it really needs to be. For example, if you are reading the book sequentially, you must first read through chapters on this history of sql (yawn) and database design (useful, but seemingly out of place in this book) before you get into the "meat" of the book. Then once you get into the queries sections, it seems to give you a lot of examples which are basically identical to one another (in other words, redundant and unnecessary).

These are relatively minor complaints though, and it is a very useful and effective book.

Kindle edition cost - 2009-09-01
Reviewer Rating:
The book itself is only $34 her on Amazon w/free Super Saver shipping (for those who can wait a bit), so I feel the Kindle version is overpriced. That could be a bias on my part because for technical material I definately lean towards a hardcopy book (not so for mags, novels and newspapers). While all authors need to make a buck, a $27 electronic version is just too much.

A great book for a review of the basics - 2009-08-31
Reviewer Rating:
I really enjoyed this book and the return to the fundamentals that this book provides.

Must have SQL Book - 2009-03-30
Reviewer Rating:
I got this book to help with certification. I didn't realize how much I didn't know until I got this book. It improved my coding exponentially. It is easy and builds on what you have learned chapter by chapter. There are practice questions at the end of each chapter and a CD that provides all of the sample databases in the most popular formats (SQL Server, Access and Mysql and Oracle). There's hours and hours of review questions to practice on. This book is great and will be a reference I use for years to come. Not for experts, but everyone else can benefit.

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