Reader reviews

Finally, a book that treats databases & big data with the care it deserves.

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. The explanations are careful without being condescending, which is a difficult balance to strike. The chapters on databases & big data are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.

Some sections were excellent and others felt like filler.

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. Borrow it first if you can, or at least check the table of contents carefully before buying.

Well worth picking up if you already have the basics.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. The author avoids over-explaining, which keeps the pace up but means you need to pay attention. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. Worth picking up if you already have the basics. Set realistic expectations and you will get a lot out of it.

Worth every page. I have already recommended it to two colleagues.

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. The author clearly knows the subject deeply and has thought hard about how to teach it. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. I have already recommended it to two colleagues and will recommend it to more.

A superb guide. The examples are small but complete.

I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. The explanations are careful without being condescending, which is a difficult balance to strike. The author avoids over-explaining, which keeps the pace up but means you need to pay attention. I have already recommended it to two colleagues and will recommend it to more.

The clearest explanation of psychology I have come across.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. There is a section near the end that ties several earlier ideas together in a way I had not seen before. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.