 | Rarely have I run across a developer oriented book that cries out to be read the way The Handbook for Reluctant Database Administrators by Josef Finsel does. The audience for the book just fit me to a "T". Many developers these days are required to know upwards of a dozen different programming languages and be very knowledgeable in at least half of them. On top of that, we need to stay current with the latest "buzz" technologies being careful not to invest too much time in a passing fad. However, there are only so many hours in the day... |
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| The Reluctant Database Administrator is written specifically for us. It focuses strictly on Microsoft SQL Server database administration in ways that only a programmer could appreciate. We need effective and relatively brief explainations of complex subjects along with fantastic examples of how to implement them immediately with the greatest possible benefit. This book nails it! Let's quickly review some of the Reluctant Database Administrator's strengths and weaknesses: |
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| Strengths |
| 1. |
The book is filled with real world questions in just the right places. So much so that I found myself about to ask the very same question. This sparked my curiousity and forced me to keep reading long after I was ready to quit for the night. Any technique that can keep its readers interested long enough to digest an entire subject is bound to be incredibly useful. |
| 2. |
While some of the more mundane topics are covered, the author also delves into important topics that don't necessarily receive the attention they deserve in books of this type. I found its "plain english" approach to discussing such topics as indexes and data types to be refreshing and rather useful. It solidified some of my own assumptions and corrected false ones. |
| 3. |
Security is a big concern these days and the Reluctant Database Administrator explains different aspects of this topic quite well. I found the text and graphical examples to be far superior to many DBA books that tend to be difficult to follow at times, especially if you aren't completely familiar with complex administrative topics. |
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| Weaknesses |
| 1. |
To tell the truth, I only have one real complaint about the Reluctant Database Administrator. And, unfortunately, it shows itself in every Apress book I've ever read. I just can't stand the inconsistant paragraph indentations, end - of - sentence spacing, and fonts. It just gives the book an "unprofessional" feel to it that you don't see with other major publishers. |
| 2. |
This really isn't a weakness, just a "nice to have": The book discusses SQL Server 2000's XML support. It just so happens that I've been working on a project that allows complex desktop apps to share data back and forth with browser based clients all over the globe. It provides a means to collect data from outside parties without the installation of custom software or the training that comes along with it. And, of course, it relies heavily on XML. I would have loved for the Reluctant Database Administrator to delve deeper into the subject as it would have no doubt helped me to make certain processes much more efficient. However, it sparked enough interest that I'll be researching it on my own. |
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| Apress has an excellent reputation for quality, and Josef Finsel is widely respected. As they say, "content is king" and his book delivers in so many ways. Believe me, its pages will get bent and torn through use instead of collecting dust on the shelf. And after all, that's what these books are for...Enjoy the read! |