The book lives up to its title: it is a very practical guide. The authors clearly know their SQL and manage to write about the language in a step-by-step style that progresses smoothly from the simple to the more difficult aspects of the language. The profuse use of examples, each with an accompanying motivation and explanation of the results, lets the reader follow even complex topics without a constant struggle. The authors have even included examples that illustrate common errors programmers make, explaining the right way to perform the task. It doesn’t hurt that the sample application is based on something everybody uses every day: food.

I especially enjoyed the manner in which the authors explained the rationale behind most of the SQL facilities. Even though they have not been an active part of the standard’s development efforts, their insight into the underlying reasons for a feature’s inclusion is spot on. They also do an excellent job of explaining complex sets of rules in easily understood language—I learned new ways of understanding some of the very rules that I personally wrote into the standard!

Each chapter ends with a summary of the principle points, and most of them include practical advice for programmers who intend to use the SQL language features described in the chapter. The inclusion at every chapter’s end of a set of questions and exercises—all directly relevant to the chapter’s material—makes this book an excellent candidate for use in the classroom.