Recommended SQL Books
So, without any further ado, here is the list:
SQL Performance Tuning by Peter Gulutzan and Trudy Pelzer - this book provides a comprehensive overview of SQL performance tuning giving guidance and advice on how to properly code and tune SQL for the major DBMS products. This book does not teach SQL syntax, but instead helps the reader to understand the differences between eight DBMSs, including Oracle, DB2, SQL Server, Sybase ASE, MySQL, Informix, Ingres, and even InterBase. Throughout this book the authors present and test techniques for improving SQL performance, and grade the technique for its usefulness on each of the major DBMSs. If you deal with heterogeneous database implementations this book will be a great assistance, whether you are a programmer, consultant, DBA, or technical end user. The contents of this book can help you to decide which tuning techniques will work for which DBMS. Very useful and well written.
SQL for Smarties by Joe Celko - intended for SQL programmers with some experience, this book offers a clear and useful technical discussion of SQL along with practical explanations. The author, Joe Celko, is a SQL expert. In fact, he worked on the ANSI SQL standard committee for ten years. If you are looking for SQL queries that solve your most vexing problems, the answer is most likely in this great book. Make sure you get the third edition which was completely updated & revised in 2005.
SQL in a Nutshell, 2nd ed by Kevin Kline - a nice SQL syntax reference for anyone who uses more than one of the popular SQL database management systems.
The Art of SQL by Stephane Faroult - a guide to SQL written using the approach of "The Art of War" by Sun-Tzu. This is the newest of the books on this list and probably the most unique. This book is not for the novice who wants to learn SQL from scratch. The authors assume the reader is conversant with SQL as they describe how to apply SQL techniques in a practical manner. I wrote a more thorough review of this book in a recent blog entry titled If Sun Tzu Coded SQL...
SQL developers would do well to add all of these books to their SQL bookshelf. Each one attacks SQL in a different way and to different effect. By reading and using these four books you'll further your understanding of SQL performance tuning, development, and syntax. And that is a worthy pursuit indeed!
