Database Design for Mere Mortals: A Hands-on Guide to Relational Database Design | 
 enlarge | Author: Michael J. Hernandez
Publisher: Addison Wesley
Category: Book
List Price: £37.90
Buy New: £27.86
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Rating:  50 reviews
Sales Rank: 70163
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2
Pages: 672
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.3
Dimensions (in): 9 x 7.3 x 1.3
ISBN: 0201752840
Dewey Decimal Number: 005.756
UPC: 785342752847
EAN: 9780201752847
ASIN: 0201752840
Publication Date: March 12, 2003
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new! Ships to anywhere in the United Kingdom! Orders only take 7-10 days! We specialize in service to the U.K. and only ship airmail.
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Database Design for Mere Mortals: A Hands-on Guide to Relational Database Design, Second Edition lets us know from the off that programmers and software architects don't really make a conscious decision to design an application (particularly one with online exposure) around the three-tier model-view-controller design pattern anymore. Three-tier, largely because of its adaptability and stability, is the norm. All of which means you need a database to underpin each of your applications. Designing your databases correctly can make the difference between slow-running, complicated code and software that's speedy, modular and easy to work with. Database Design for Mere Mortals prepares someone with only a passing familiarity with databases for the important job of building the persistence layer (also called the data model) for software.Michael Hernandez explains database design in tradesman's terms. That is, he shows his readers how to identify the business problems that have to be satisfied by a database, then proceeds to explain how to build a solid solution to them. Hernandez's approach combines procedural guidelines (first identify critical facts, then apply a certain logic to yield tables, then establish cross-references, and so on) with practical definitions that clear up much of the rich trove of jargon surrounding databases. He walks through numerous examples, and doesn't shy away from the complexities that always exist in real customers' requirements. If you're not familiar with database design, and want to be, this is the book you need. Topics covered: how to design databases that fit business requirements and make software construction easier. In addition to explaining relational database concepts, the author explains data integrity, null values, keys, table relationships (one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many) and data types. He emphasises processes designers should follow in building a new database or improving an existing one. --David Wall, Amazon.com
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| Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
 Justa a few pages are usefull November 5, 2008
Josep-maria Sans Sanchez (Taradell (BCN), CATALUNYA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you don't have any idea of how to build a database, this book can clear things up and make you understand the basic concept of a database structure. But there's a lot of stuff just to fill up pages. Many information is repeated every now and again, so just a few pages are really useful. I'm pretty sure there's many tutorials in the web that can do the job this book did to me.
A good review from another customer:
"Attractive title, attractive cover, attractive writing style, but I haven't found the meat yet. This one holds the attractive prospect of not losing me in technical jargon, but talking to the human me. Marvellous intention. So far I've read fifty pages, and all I have understood is that I really ought to take care in designing my database. Well that's why I bought a book in the first place. I'm sure there are really valuable ideas in here, but I've given up waiting to hear them. Too much fluff, not enough stuff."
 Superb, why did I only just find out abou this book. November 29, 2006
Graham Marsh (London, England)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book has potentially saved me from a rather unsuccessful 2nd year at university. Having come out of the first year with a few misconceptions on database modeling, I was struggling to get a coursework to actually work.
In stepped 'Database Design for Mere Mortals', it is clearly written explaining the concepts in a step by step method. The real talent of the author here is that he is able to take very complex ideas and processes and break them down into plain, simple, easy to understand English. In fact it has a certain 'having a chat about it with your mates' feel.
To summarise, it's simple, concise and extremely factual. You will be a DB wiz before you know it.
Why my Uni didn't put this on the reading list I will never know!
Must buy December 1, 2004
mr L G cameron (United Kingdom)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I have never written a review before but this book deserves one because there are very few books, that actually achieve what it sets out to do. After buying more than 5 different design books, this is the only book that taught me very quickly how to design a sound database without all the jargon and complicated information sometimes contained in the other books. If you read this book from cover to cover you will learn to design a database correctly what more could you ask for. The only thing I think should have been included is a cd showing what the exercises look like in a real database, so you can see the design taking shape. Otherwise nothing else bad to say.
This is a brilliant book. It's that simple. July 29, 2001
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
This book is brilliant. It's clearly written, has loads of information and is the ideal primer for anyone starting to study relational databases. There is no waffle about Normal Forms and BCF, just simple common sense to put you on the right path.
Concise and well laid out December 6, 2000
Mr. C. J. Lee (London, UK)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book is fantastic if you have no clue about database design. It gives you a clear and concise guide to design and includes well laid out examples. It hides itself from any technical jargons and it is a great book for you if you have never created databases but you are keen to get going. It is laid out in a way so that you are able to grasp the basic overview of the topic first and then it takes each idea and explores in greater detail. The useful thing about this book I guess is that it contains a summary at the end of each chapter that gives you a quick insight about what you should already know.If you are confused and want a easy-to-read book to get started, choose this book and you'll be well on your way.
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