I purchased Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 10 Minutes when, thanks to a major software conversion, I was suddenly thrust into the Oracle Database/SQL programming world. This turned out to be a very good book for me, as I was already a programmer, already had a good understanding of databases, and just needed to learn the syntax of SQL. That's exactly who this book is written for - someone who isn't trying to learn how to be a programmer, but rather someone who just needs to learn SQL syntax.

So - I Can Learn Everything About SQL in Just 10 Minutes??

No! The title of this book is a ridiculous attempt at misleading the consumer. No one can possibly learn an entire language in 10 minutes. So, why is the book called that? Because the information is broken up into 22 chapters (they call them "lessons") and each lesson is designed to take 10 minutes to read, and practice. In other words, you can learn this language, one lesson at a time, by devoting just 10 minutes per lesson. Shame on the author for this blatant plan to mislead the buyer!

OK - Now I Understand The Title. But What's SQL?

Just quickly, for those who don't know, SQL stands for Structured Query Language. It can be pronounced either by the actual letters "S-Q-L" or you can pronounce it "sequel". It's a standard language originally developed in the 70's by IBM, providing an interface to a relational database system. Put simply, databases contain - you got it - data, and SQL is a standard set of commands that lets you read, and manipulate that data. Nearly every major database uses SQL (even if the dialect is slightly different) so learning just one language gains you access to data in a whole bunch of places!

Organization

There are 22 chapters or lessons in this book. Each is 6-10 pages long. The lessons are called:

1 - Understanding SQL
2 - Retrieving Data
3 - Sorting Retrieved Data
4 - Filtering Data
5 - Advanced Data Filtering
6 - Using Wildcard Filtering
7 - Creating Calculated Fields
8 - Using Data Manipulation Functions
9 - Summarizing Data
10 - Grouping Data
11 - Working with Subqueries
12 - Joining Tables
13 - Creating Advanced Joins
14 - Combining Queries
15 - Inserting Data
16 - Updating and Deleting Data
17 - Creating and Manipulating Tables
18 - Using Views
19 - Working with Stored Procedures
20 - Using Transaction Processing
21 - Using Cursors
22 - Understanding Advanced SQL Features

I like the way the material is presented. I like how one lesson builds upon the previous one. So if you're determined to go through the entire book, in order, when you're sure you've got one mastered, you can move on to the next and build upon your understanding.

Or, maybe you're not planning to go through the whole book. Maybe your boss has given you a task, and you need to figure out, quickly, how to get it done. You can fairly easily find the chapter you need, and skip right to it. Say you know you need to filter data, but you don't have a clue how to do it. Start with chapter 4. If you don't find what you're looking for, it's sure to be found in 5, or, at worst, 6.

Are the lessons really only 10 minutes long?

Well, some are. Assuming the reader is already a programmer, and already familiar with databases, the first several lessons really are quite simple to master. But they do get quite a bit more complicated as you go on. And the examples used to illustrate the commands get longer and more complicated as well. If you're working with actual examples and practicing the techniques as you read along, the later chapters are not 10 minutes long.

Are they at least easy to read, even if they might take a bit longer to master?

Yes! This book is written in very clear language. They give you lots of examples and sample programs. Wherever possible they provide tips or shortcuts, so you can learn quicker ways to do common tasks. It also means you can learn multiple ways to accomplish the same task. This might seem unnecessary, but it's really not. Everyone develops their own style of programming, and learning to recognize various techniques to accomplish the same task means you'll be better prepared when it comes to reading programs that others have written. The shortcuts are designated by pictures of light bulbs. A little picture of an alarm clock is used wherever they point out common mistakes that users make. And, a little picture of a dictionary appears next to every term that they think requires an actual definition.

Following the lessons are several appendices and an index. The appendices contain sample programs, and lists of commands, and reserved words. These are very helpful when you just need a quick lookup.

Recommended?

Yes! Absolutely, as long as the reader is a member of the target audience. For anyone who's already familiar with programming, and with databases, this is a great book for learning to use SQL.

Recommended: Yes