I don't understand some of the very negative reviews here. If you are new to SQL, then this book will be a good compagnon.
This book worked for me, it's gives you the fundamentals you need to get to the more advanced stuff. This book is to teach SQL, as a reference I use o'reillys SQL in a nutshell. And the comment on the price? Well, i think all programming books are getting more and more expensive...

This book is excellent! It's clearly written and easy to follow! And, I must admit that when I read a review of this book by the one of the authors I thought that his opinion must be biased, but it wasn't, it was right on the mark! This book is an excellent reference book. It has replaced my previous #1 favorite, Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 10 Minutes. The Sams book is still an excellent title to own too! The Sams book is a good "portable" reference due to its quality and size. The Wrox book is a good desktop reference. Even though the Wrox book is a big book you'll still be tempted to keep it with you because it's so good!

I am one of the authors of this book, so of course my rating is going to be a little prejudiced. However, I must say that I'm very proud of this work, and after reading the complete work, I thought it should be called "Beginning to End SQL Programming." There isn't a single aspect of SQL that is not covered in this book. While it is designed to cover using SQL from the beginning, and written in a style that is easy for novices to understand, it covers more about the actual use of SQL than any other SQL book that I've seen. I actually use it as a reference myself!

If it were not for one mistaken aplication of his maxim, I would have to say that this is one of the most astounding, consistent exposition of libertarian theory in history. However, Spencer is not wholly consistent, and his main inconsistency is so important, that it cannot be safely overlooked. The lapse that I speak of is his absurd and anti-libertarian position on the private ownership of land. He believes that land cannot be rightfully held in private hands, but rather that "society" owns the land. This indeed is an extremely specious piece of logic for a man who upholds the rights of the individual over the "state," the "majority," and "society." Not only that, it mars his entire concept of a free society. Otherwise, this work represents a landmark in libertarian individualist thought. His theory of "equal freedom" is almost identical in spirit to the non-aggression maxims utilized by thinkers such as Ayn Rand and Murray Rothbard. His application of of this basic axiom is also impressive. He thoroughly any function of the state beyond the absolute minimum. Even further, he even acknowledges the "Right To Ignore The State." Nevertheless, his views on the private ownership of land are so out of line that I cannot honestly give this book the degree of praise that it could have very easily earned.

This is an excellent starter book for stargazers, and fits into your pocket.