"70-432 MCTS SQL Server 2008 Implementation and Maintenance Training Kit" by Mike Hotek

Slated for release in early January 2009, this book is now being slated in another sense: the six week delay in publication has not weeded out some glaring errors. Most notable is the ommission of the Enterprise edition information in the comparison chart in chapter one.

As 2008 is semi-jokingly referred to as the biggest ever service pack, one would expect that this book would follow quite closely to the 2005 book. However, one ommission I have found is the absence of a lesson on the DAC (Dedicated Administrator Connection) which was a new feature in 2005.

The look and feel of the book is a bit inconsistent and the order of the chapters could be better (e.g. Log Shipping should be introduced before Replication), but overall this book is a useful prep kit for the exam.

Errata.

"70-431 MCTS Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Implementation and Maintenance Self Paced Training Kit" by Solid Quality Learning

This weighty tome is Microsoft's guide to passing the entry level certification for SQL Server 2005. Unlike the previous generation of Microsoft certification (MCP), the MCTS expects you to be knowledgeable in all aspects of the product. This book gives an introduction to all the main aspects of SQL Server and 2005's new features and the DBA stories at the beginning of each chapter are an interesting insight. However, it won't make you an expert in every part of the product, despite its bulk it does not seem to cover some areas in enough depth (e.g. HTTP endpoints) and the exam questions in the book are repeated in the CD-ROM. The CD-ROM is let down by an insufficient number of questions and no simulation questions, so it does not really prepare you for the exam as just reading the book enough times is enough to remember the answers to most of the questions.

Having said that, it is a useful book for those new to SQL Server as it introduces you to what it can be used for.

Errata

"SQL Performance Tuning" by by Peter Gulutzan and Trudy Pelzer

This is a generic database developers best practice guide book, covering eight major database types (e.g. SQL Server, Oracle et al) and provides an indication as to whether that technique improves performance or not. However, it doesn't indicate which database performed better - only a star rating as to whether it was an improvement and a note when a particularly feature isn't supported by a particular product. As such, this is more tuned for database developers who work with a number of different database products and where the database code is ported from one database product to another. A useful reference book none-the-less.

"Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Administrator's Pocket Consultant" by William R Stanek

A truly technical reference guide! One for the seasoned SQL Server DBA.

"Teach Yourself SQL in 10 Minutes" by Ben Forta

This is a simple introduction to SQL which is generic to all the database management systems, save for some more advanced features like cursors and triggers that are not available on MS Access. To get an introduction (or a quick refresh if you've been out of the frame for a while!) this is an excellent and cheap reference.