Joe Celko's SQL Puzzles and Answers (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems) (Paperback)

by Joe Celko (Author) "WHEN SOMEONE GETS an SQL problem, the first thing they do is try to think of a query to answer it..." (more)
Key Phrases: first working table, instantaneous count, assistant mechanic, Richard Romley, Friends of Pepperoni, Gupta Forum (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
“This little collection of puzzles is something to bash your head against while awaiting your SQL epiphany.”
—Joe Celko -- Review

Review
"This little collection of puzzles is something to bash your head against while awaiting your SQL epiphany."
—Joe Celko

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann; 1st edition (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558604537
• ISBN-13: 978-1558604537
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #655,528 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good puzzles, answers could be better, July 11, 2000

By	Lex van de Pol (Tilburg Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This is a very nice book! I used it to increase the SQL level of my employees. We did two puzzles a week, and compared our answers. And it sure helped. But there are some buts in this story. First, the puzzles are not always defined well, so you do not know what to do before you see the discussion in the answer part. Second, a lot of the solutions are not very good. Whenever I found a better one, I mailed Joe Celko. Every time he replied to me (very nice!) that somebody else also pointed it out and that there were even better solutions that mine. This means that the solutions are not always that good in the book. But still, it has alo of good brainteasers. But try them first yourself before looking to the answers as your answer could be better.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The practical application of the SQL for Smarties concepts, September 20, 1999

By	Kenneth W. Henderson "khen" (Plano, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The hidden jewel of the Celko trilogy, this is one of my favorite SQL books. It takes the concepts in Celko's seminal work, SQL for Smarties, and illustrates how to apply them to solve real-world problems. As always, the book is rife with tales from Celko's long and varied career in the SQL trenches, as well as the subtle witticism for which he is famous. Like all great technical books - it's timeless - the techniques you learn today will work tomorrow because Celko follows the ANSI/ISO standard to the letter. As a fellow author, I can appreciate the work that went into writing this book - real examples require real work, especially by the author. This book belongs in the library of every would-be SQL practitioner.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I love the puzzle approach to this topic., February 28, 2001

By	339 ways to spot a scam "Booker" (Everywhere) - See all my reviews

One of the few puzzle books for IRM types. Joe's book is based on his columns in the now defunct Database Programming and Design magazine. Overall this is an excellent book if you work with SQL on a daily basis. I'd give it a 5 rating, but it's overdue for an update due to the fact that many, including Joe himself, have developed even better answers for the puzzles.

This is not an introductory text -- you should have not only a knowlege of SQL but some real world experience developing and deploying SQL based applications.

To get the most out of this book, make sure you make an attempt to solve the puzzles before reading the 'answers'.