Database Design for Mere Mortals(R): A Hands-On Guide to Relational Database Design (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Programmers and software architects don't really make a conscious decision to design an application (particularly one with online exposure) around the three-tier model-view-controller design pattern anymore. Three-tier, largely because of its adaptability and stability, is the norm. All of which means you need a database to underpin each of your applications. Designing your databases correctly can make the difference between slow-running, complicated code and software that's speedy, modular, and easy to work with. Database Design for Mere Mortals prepares someone with only a passing familiarity with databases for the important job of building the persistence layer (also called the data model) for software.

Michael Hernandez explains database design in tradesman's terms. That is, he shows his readers how to identify the business problems that have to be satisfied by a database, then proceeds to explain how to build a solid solution to them. Hernandez's approach combines procedural guidelines (first identify critical facts, then apply a certain logic to yield tables, then establish cross-references, and so on) with practical definitions that clear up much of the rich trove of jargon surrounding databases. He walks through numerous examples, and doesn't shy away from the complexities that always exist in real customers' requirements. If you're not familiar with database design, and want to be, this is the book you need. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to design databases that fit business requirements and make software construction easier. In addition to explaining relational database concepts, the author explains data integrity, null values, keys, table relationships (one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many), and data types. He emphasizes processes designers should follow in building a new database or improving an existing one.

From Library Journal

This truly excellent introduction to relational database design will work for both novices and advanced designers because the book does not tie itself to any particular database implementation. Hernandez has years of database design and training experience. For all levels from public to university libraries.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 611 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 2 edition (March 13, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201752840
• ISBN-13: 978-0201752847
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (126 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,228 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This item is part of The For Mere Mortals Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

106 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good start for fundamentals, December 11, 1999

By	Christopher S. Susi (Earth. You are here.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Database Design for Mere Mortals: A Hands-On Guide to Relational Database Design (Paperback)

A few days after reading 1/2 the book I nearly wrote a review giving the book 0 stars. Truly pages 50-200 can be condensed into about 10 pages. However, the chapters about building the tables, relationships, fields attributes, business rules are very well written to give an overview for the non-technical person or somebody getting started. Also, many times books that teach a language will avoid fundamental skills such as database design and these are more important than understanding syntax (you will know if your syntax is wrong when you run the program, you wont know your design is f-ed up till 6 months into implementation).

If you haven't had database design exposure through a Comp Sci program, this is an excellent starting point. Due to it's non-technical descriptions this is a good read if you are overseeing software/database project (project manager, manager commisioning a design house, etc.) and are not entirely computer literate.

On the downside, I would have liked it if he did associate the various nomalization terms that he ends up discussing but without actually saying that is what they are (e.g. breaking apart multi-valued fields, etc). Certainly if you have seen this already and would like more detailed information then consider Teorey's Database Modeling & Design which is more advanced.

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent concepts for all database designers, March 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Database Design for Mere Mortals: A Hands-On Guide to Relational Database Design (Paperback)

I was first introduced to this book in College while I was learning relational database design and modeling concepts. Almost anyone can open Access and build a database, but are they doing it correctly? Knowing how to do something and WHY you are doing it are entirely different things. This book takes complicated technical information and breaks it out into an efficient and easy to understand format that anyone from a beginner to an expert can use and understand. Not only do you finish understanding the how and the why of relational design, but you have also been exposed to the detailed process of designing for others, methods of interviewing and example questions that show you how to get the information you need from your users that's crucial to your design. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it since the concepts are software independent. At my last job, our SQL DBA called this book his Bible. I just recently ordered it again for a friend who's beginning to learn about databases. Two thumbs up!

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars there are better books out there, February 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Database Design for Mere Mortals: A Hands-On Guide to Relational Database Design (Paperback)

This book is adequate but not great as an introduction to designing databases. I agree with other reviewers that it's quite repetitive and goes to extremes on details like field specifications. I suppose if you know nothing about DB design this book is OK - but you'll need other books and lots of practice designing your own databases if you truly want to become proficient. A much better general intro book to databases and simple design is 'Inside Relational Databases' by Whitehorn & Marklyn. Novices should look at 'Absolute Beginner's Guide to Databases' by John V. Petersen first.

Once you've mastered those 2 books then get the best available book on DB design/modeling: 'Case*Method: Entity Relationship Modelling' by Richard Barker. It's excellent.

Two other options for university level/advanced modeling: 'Database Modeling & Design' by Toby J. Teorey and 'Data Modeling Essentials: Analysis, Design, and Innovation' by Graeme C. Simsion