Do You Want to Learn a Thing or Two?

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Do You Want to Learn a Thing or Two?

Steve Jones - SSC Editor

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January 10, 2010 at 9:14 pm

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Comments posted to this topic are about the item Do You Want to Learn a Thing or Two?

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kcqwilter Grasshopper Points: 12 More actions · Answer 1

While I don't have a list of books (I have a wall of them - maybe the list would be easier!) I completely agree with the desire to learn and explore new things going hand-in-hand with being in a technology field. When I started out my career, as a developer, it was a given - you were trained on your domain, but you had to be willing to learn multiple other domains in order to sucessfully communicate and automate the processes of your customers. That desire to learn has always been a part of my process, and it baffles and frustrates me when I come across someone in a tech field who seems content to stay in their own comfort zone and never look at anything new or different.

I've always worked hard to remain a generalist in a world of specialists, and I think that plays into it also - to be general, you've got to encompass a very broad range of skills, and it's easier if you know how they interact and intertwine. A specialist with a very narrow focus doesn't always need to know what's happening in the next cubical, and it might well be a distraction. As a generalist, I've worked on operating systems, parsers, communications, databases in domains like printing, agriculture, health care...the list is endless and varied and suits my easily-distracted by shiny objects temperment.

Overall though, the message is keep learning - when you stop learning, you stagnate!

Karen Cote

GSquared SSC Guru Points: 260824 More actions · Answer 2

We've had a dozen or more threads over the last couple years on the subject of what books a DBA should read. Most of the answers are the same from thread to thread on that subject. (It's one of the reasons I keep suggesting a FAQ page for this site. Could include that list in there.)

- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
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"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736270 More actions · Answer 3

An FAQ is a lot of work, though it might make sense for an article to be posted that someone can maintain with a list of books to read.

lmarquezr Newbie Points: 5 More actions · Answer 4

I'm an advance developer/beginner DBA moving from Oracle to SQL Server, I would love to have a list of "Must read..." books for SQL server. In particular, I'm trying to understand why cursors are so sllllooooowwww and memory consuming?, how SQL Server lock records?, how to create a something like an oracle snapshot?.

Thanks in advance

DavidSimpson Hall of Fame Points: 3562 More actions · Answer 5

When looking for SQL Server books, I usually only by from authors whom I've read about in forums, articles or blogs. There are so many DBA books with so many authors, I figure sticking with the authors that post articles and forum responses to the sites I visit is a bit safer of a read. Plus I want to support the individuals that spend time writing the free articles and helping everyone out in the forums. So when I see Steve Jones' name attached to a book, I figure if he's putting his name on it, it has to be pretty good stuff. 😉

But if I had to name one series of books I like to get it would be the Inside SQL Server series, especially the Storage Engine books by Kalen Delaney and several other very smart people. That was the first SQL 2005 and 2008 book I purchased.

David

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736270 More actions · Answer 6

Ha, not sure my name means that much. However I would second recommendations on Kalen's books as well as Itzik Ben-Gan. I think Brian Knight, my former business partner here, has great books in the BI space.

Dave Schutz SSCarpal Tunnel Points: 4190 More actions · Answer 7

I would definitely recommend Itzik Ben-Gan if you want to learn T-SQL. Kalen Delaney is a good one, as well as Paul Randall, Kimberly Tripp, and many others. If you want expertise from over 53 SQL Server MVPs I would heartily recommend SQL Server Deep Dives. It covers many different areas of SQL and the different authors give each chapter a different flavor. I bought this book at PASS and am about 1/3 finished and it is great.

I'm also reading Rod Colledge's SQL Server 2008 Administration in Action.

SQLRNNR SSC Guru Points: 281334 More actions · Answer 8

There are also some good reads from Grant Fritchey and Brad McGehee.

How about a list of what books not to read? I know one that I would recommend for that list. 🙂

Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
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I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
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Josep SSCommitted Points: 1518 More actions · Answer 9

That editorial fits perfectly in a question I wanted to post in the forums: what books do you recommend to learn all the BI environtment (SSAS, SSRS, SSIS, DataWarehouse, etc...) ?

Josep