Database Concepts (3rd Edition) [Paperback]

David M. Kroenke (Author), David Auer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 3, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0131986252 | ISBN-13: 978-0131986251 | Edition: 3

Written by one of the world's leading database authorities, Database Concepts 3e, introduces the essential concepts students need to create and use small databases.  Appropriate for all introductory courses or brief courses on database development and management, as well as database courses designed around specific database products such as Microsoft Access, SQL Server, or MySQL.

 

 

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

A Database text that all beginning students can use

At some point in business—or for a personal project...

You will need more than just a spreadsheet to do your job

You will want to run detailed reports

You will need to understand how to use one of many database programs

Are you ready?

With Database Concepts, by David M. Kronke, you will be.

You will learn:

Fundamentals of the relational model
Structured Query Language (SQL)
Data modeling
Database design
Database administration
...to do your job well.

Learn it here,

with Database Concepts, by David M. Kroenke www.prenhall.com/kroenke.
For further exploration and reinforcement.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

David M. Kroenke is one of the pioneers of database technology In 1971, while working at the Pentagon, he programmed one of the world's first database management system (DBMS) products. In 1974 Grace Hopper appointed him to the CODAYSL EUF committee, and in 1977 he worked as ,a consultant for Fred Brooks at IBM. Kroenke helped to start the Microrim Corporation, where he led the development of the R:base family of DBMS products. In a 1991 article, Wayne Ratliff credited one of Kroenke's textbooks for giving him the idea for the development of d:base. In 1989 Kroenke consulted Microsoft on the project that led to the development of Microsoft Access. He is also the father of the semantic object model, a data model that many believe is superior to the entity-relationship model.

Kroenke is the author of five computer textbooks; his text Database Processing was first published in 1977 and is currently in its eighth edition. In 1990 and 1991 he was the Hanson Professor of Management Science at the University of Washington. In that same year the International Association for Computer Information Systems named him Computer Educator of the Year. He holds a B.S. in economics from the U.S. Air Force Academy, an M.S. in management science from the University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. from Colorado State University where he studied linear models under Franklin Graybill.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 3 edition (February 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0131986252
• ISBN-13: 978-0131986251
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #788,763 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introductory book, horrible price, March 9, 2005

By 

A. Taylor - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Database Concepts (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

This is by far the best introductory database book I have ever read or used.

Pro
It is written in very clear English.
It covers the basics of database design very well.
It is not overly technical.
One of the best treatments of normalization I have ever seen.
The exercises at the end of each chapter are well thought out.

Con
The book cost way too much ($60) for an introductory textbook.
The use of the term "theme" was changed to "topic" in the 2nd edition. The editing was faulty and the book only defines topic but used both theme and topic. Not a big deal if you used the first edition and know they mean the same thing but it is confusing to students when the book uses the terms interchangably without defining theme.
This is not a reference for database programmers. If you already understand ERD's and normalization don't buy this book it is meant to be an introduction to database basics not a shelf reference.

I like that the does not cover a lot of history. If you want to know a lot about Codd and the evolution of the different normal forms this is not the book for you. If you want a good introduction to databases for a non-technical class this is the best book you will find in my opinion.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book fills a crucial gap, June 24, 2005

By 

jasonlovesjazz (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Database Concepts (Paperback)

So you know how to use your database software, but do you know how to design a good database?

I got lucky when I found this book. I'd been building a database myself after taking a class on MS Access at my local community college. MS Access is so easy to use that I was comfortable and confident. I'd built many related tables and built several queries, forms and reports. No problems. Everything was working fine.

But with each element I added, I got less confident about the DESIGN of my ever-growing database. It was working fine, but were the tables and relationships optimal? As it grew more complex, was I going to make a mistake? Or find a fundamental flaw in my early assumptions? Classes and tutorials on database programs cover design concepts so briefly because they need to cover a lot of details about how to use the program. This book does the exact opposite. It glosses over how to use your software and focuses on design concepts. In the preface, the author says:

"This book does not assume that any particular DBMS [database management system] product will be used [... so ...] all of the concepts are presented in a DBMS-agnostic manner. When learned this way, students come to understand that the fundamentals pertain to any database [...]"

This is why it's shorter than some reviewers seem to think it should be. It isn't "too short." It's "focused." There are plenty of other books that cover the other stuff. This book is clear, concise and accessible. I'm glad it didn't go into more technical details.

It focuses on database fundamentals, design and administration by explaining what each of the following concepts mean and why they're so important: the relational model, normalization, functional dependencies, data modeling, entity-relation model, client-server model, DBA, concurrency control, security, backup and recovery, and even a bit about SQL (the computer language behind your DBMS). You can skip the SQL chapter if you want. I did.

Final word: This book is a quick read and easy to understand. It is a bit pricey, but if it fills a crucial gap in your knowledge, like it did for me, it's well worth the price.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Soup Sandwich, March 14, 2011

By 

Student - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Database Concepts (5th Edition) (Paperback)

This book was written in a very disorganized fashion as it seemed the Author/s were constantly suggesting things that you could not do with the DBMS that you were reading about. Then to top it off all of the figures that were referenced were often pages away. All in all the book explained how it might feel to walk through a pool of quicksand.