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Microsoft SQL Server(tm) 2000 Administrator's Companion (IT-Administrator's Companion) Review by Huajun Zhai
Great Introduction for Those New to SQL Server
I found this book to be very helpful for people who have some database knowledge, but who are unfamiliar with SQL, and SQL server services.
To this end, I found that this book has one of the most concise, and clear reference to the SQL language. I have read two tutorials before on the subject of SQL, but have always felt somehow that the ideas behind the language seem to elude me. Maybe the third time was the charm. After I read this particular book, I felt that I got a solid understanding of SQL, and I feel that I would be referring back to this book from time to time for its lucid explanation on SQL operations.
Many previous posters have noted the abundance of tutorials for introducing users to how to use wizards. I find this a welcoming feature, as novices like me would certainly be comforted in knowing that there are such user-friendly features available in SQL to lower the learning curve. Nonetheless, some claims that the book lacked examples on how to use the T-SQL language is simply note true. The book provides corresponding examples of everything it covers in T-SQL script. So far, I have yet to find one script to fail executing on my default installation of SQL Server 2000. Those T-SQL scripts may not have the same sophistication as some other DBA books offer, they nonetheless provide a very good introduction to the novice in the field.
I must also commend the author of this book in his clear style of writing. I didn't find a single instance where I was bogged down while reading this book by the complicated structure of the language. I find this to be an exceptional gift in any technical documentation.
Overall, I found this book to be a perfect fit for my purpose. I have always resented books which packed too much information into too little space, and this book has shown that it has the right balance of material as it couldn't have hoped to be both a good introduction for novices and a "bible" for advanced users. I did not expect this to be the last book I will purchase on SQL Server, since it certainly doesn't cover the nitty-gritties of SQL Server as books like "Inside SQL Server 2000" do. As a first book, though, it is perfect.