general

Very Good! It is a relational database design textbook. The SQL Server7.0 CD included is a great deal. It goes into E-R Modeling, Normalization and database implementation. Some weaknesses: occasionally the layout may throw out the reader's attention. For example, it is a lot better to discuss about a particular method of design followed by its implementation. The book attempts to first discuss all design methods, then implementation methods, causing some confusion. It is clear that the author would like to give a kick to Semantic Object Modeling (SOM), but it is a hard sale. E-R Modeling is far easier to understand and SOM adds little. In chapter 3 (E-R Modeling), they should ad an advise given to us in class; if the entity appears to be plural, you might need to break it into several entities. This will save a lot of time to students, later, when performing Normalization. The discussion about synthesis of relations (chapter 5 - Normalization) is GREAT! It takes away the "intuition" out of DK/NF. In fact, this chapter should be revised to further stress this concept and relate it to DK/NF. Also, DK/NF should be further explained (right now it is very hard to read and grasp, "intuition" can be taken out by using synthesis) and be central. All other "Normal Forms" need not be stressed, but present it as part of the history of how modification anomalies were initially handled. The reader of this review should still understand only one thing. The book is VERY GOOD. Only because I learned so much, I am now brave enough to suggest the author to revise it.

I have to agree with the negative reviews so far. This book is a nightmare! I'm currently using this book for class.
The author contradicts himself not only from chapter to chapter but within individual paragraphs.
He spends entirely too much time on simple ideas and breezes through complex ones.
I find myself reading through paragraphs thinking, "Oh, he's still talking about that? Why is he still taking about that?"
Then the next paragraph, "What the hell is he talking about!?"
His sentences are wordy and complicated. He has forgotten the basic structure of the English sentence. That being: Stick to one subject per each, please. Throughout these verbose outbursts, he combines terms that are so similar they cause confusion. As an example:

"The physical description of a semantic object domain is just a reference to the semantic object description."

This gem of a sentence is halfway through Chapter Four. However, since this book is so poorly thought out and written, I still don't know what any of those terms mean or refer to.
If I knew what he was talking about, I would rewrite that sentence. However, I don't. So I've given up reading and am now writing a scathing review. What does that tell you?
Thankfully, there are many figures scattered throughout the book to attempt to clarify what the author can't seem to. Unfortunately, none of the figures being refered to are ever on the same page. The student must read the sentence, flip the page, try to remember what the author was rambling about, flip back, ... you get the point.

All in all, this is the most miserable textbook I have ever read. And perhaps one of the most overpriced. At "this cost", not only do expect this book to basically read itself, I would expect it to teach me through osmosis while I sleep.

In response to some negative reviews, I think some are missing the point of why this book was written. This book's goal is not to teach you how to totally design and program a database from scratch. Its purpose is to familiarize readers with the various methods of designing and interacting with databases. The coverage of SQL is well done. Yes, there is more to it than what the book covers, but most of those details vary from DBMS to DBMS. Also, the ER diagram is covered well, although I would have appreciated a few more problems and examples that give the student practice in constructing a diagram from scratch. The much-maligned SOM was for me a good alternative perspective. Maybe it isn't used as much in industry, so what? It still helps the introductory student grasp the underlying concepts and think outside of the box. The later chapters are not extensive in their coverage of xml, asp, and the like but they don't have to be. Remember, this is NOT a book about any specific language. Professors have the freedom to delve into areas that they think are more important in more detail. It is a fine companion to professor lectures.