Customer Reviews

Sams Teach Yourself MySQL in 21 Days (2nd Edition)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The book is aimed at the beginner/intermediate level, which I think is about right. Readers at both levels would benefit significantly from this well written and easily read volume.

Each chapter gives you a `kick start' in that aspect of MySQL starting at a basic level and progressing to a stage where you have a very useful knowledge.
The chapters on Querying Data for example take you to a point where you (as an intermediate user) could do most everyday queries.

This is achieved by using straightforward examples with carefully graded and well explained steps. I never felt too pushed nor felt I was being patronised - quite an achievement.

What I particularly liked were the chapters on interfacing with the real world.
The chapter on PHP does not pretend to be a primer on PHP but does introduce the few functions in PHP which allow you to write to and query a MySQL database, retrieve the results and present them to the rest of your PHP code - just what a PHP coder needs from a book on MySQL. This is repeated for those who need to interface with C and PERL.

I would unreservedly recommend this book to anyone starting out in MySQL.

It was missing alot of information in the area of new users and granting privileges. Quotations marks were left out of key commands to grant privileges and there are limits...There were misspellings of words. The book should have gone through spellcheck and a thorough test of examples.
I would rate this book lower but I admit, it helped me get started. If I didn't have teaching and other data processing experience I would be bald trying to follow this book.

This is the best starter book on MySql that I've read and I've read quite a few. Start with this one.

Strongly discourage anyone from buying this book!

First of all the book is nearly 10 years old... and when trying to teach you how to configure Windows NT and IIS4?!? to connect to a MySQL database, what a joke! C'mon guys, how 'bout moving into the current decade.

Secondly, there are numerous typos and syntax errors that make getting through the material VERY difficult. It's difficult enough learning new material when you have good documentation; but there are so many typos and syntax errors in this book that you are constantly second-guessing your problems: is it a problem with the example in then book? Or an i doing something incorrectly?

There has to be better MySQL books out there. Don't waste your money OR YOUR TIME on this 2000 Copywrighted mess.