SQL stands for Structured Query language, pronounced as “S-Q-L” or sometimes as “See-Quel.” SQL is the standard language for dealing with Relational Databases. SQL can be used to insert, search, update, and delete database records. Are you interested in learning the SQL Language and looking for some excellent book that will help you skyrocket your SQL expertise? Then you have come to the right place.Here is a curated list of the best books to learn SQL for beginners. These books are highly recommended by SQL experts and are helpful for students to grasp the SQL. These resources will guide you to build your career in this promising field and make you a better SQL developer. Read more…

Best SQL Books for beginners and Advanced Programmers

1) SQL in 10 Minutes, Sams Teach Yourself

Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 10 Minutes written by Ben Forta straightforward, practical answers when you need fast results. This SQL book offers full-color code examples to help you understand how SQL statements are structured. You will also get knowledge of shortcuts and solutions. Publisher: Sams Publishing Latest Edition: 5th edition No of Pages: 256 pages The book cover topics like the use of SQL statements, retrieve, sort, and format database contents, join multiple related tables, Insert, update, and delete data, etc.

2) SQL Practice Problems

SQL Practice problems is useful SQL book. It provides practice problems, which gives you an advanced level of SQL experience by solving sets of targeted problems. These aren’t just into problems designed as syntax examples. The book covers the most common problems you encounter when you deal with data. Publisher: Independently Published Latest Edition: 1st edition No of Pages: 127 pages Moreover, in this book, you will get many real-world practices with actual data. You will learn how to analyze data problems and the right solution for them.

3) SQL Cookbook (O’Reilly)

SQL Cookbook is a book written by Anthony Molinaro. In this book, the author shares his favorite SQL techniques and features. The book includes topics like Window functions, Pivoting rows into columns, reverse-pivoting columns into rows. In this book, you will also learn how to create histograms, generate running-totals and subtotals, etc. Publisher: O′Reilly Latest Edition: 1st edition No of Pages: 504 pages You will be able to know the technique of walking a string that allows you to use SQL to parse characters, words, or delimited elements of a string.

4) SQL Queries for Mere Mortals: A Hands-On Guide to Data Manipulation in SQL

SQL Queries for Mere Mortals: A Hands-On Guide to Data is a book written by John L. Viescas. This SQL book guides you through creating reliable queries. Publisher: Addison-Wesley Latest Edition: 4th edition No of Pages: 960 pages You will also find the important aspects of SQL query writing from simple data selection and filtering to joining and multiple tables and modifying sets of data. This book also includes two chapters that teach you how to perform complex calculations.

5) Learning SQL: Master SQL Fundamentals

Learning SQL is a book written by Alan Beaulieu. Each chapter of this book teaches you a key SQL concept or technique, with various illustrations and annotated examples. Exercises at the end of each chapter allow you to practice the skills you learn. Publisher: O′Reilly Latest Edition: 2nd edition No of Pages: 352 pages In this book, you will learn several advanced features like manipulating and retrieve data, create database objects, like tables, indexes. By learning this book, you’ll also be able to learn how to use the power and flexibility of this SQL.

6) SQL: The Complete Reference

SQL: The Complete Reference, is SQL tutorial book is written by James R. Groff. The book covers topics like how to work with SQL commands and statements, set up relational databases, load and modify database objects to perform powerful queries, and implement reliable security policies. Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education Latest Edition: 3rd edition No of Pages: 912 pages The book also teaches how to you can employ DDL statements and APIs, integrate XML and Java scripts. You will also learn advanced topics like DBMS transactions, materialized views, locking mechanisms, etc.

7) Oracle PL/SQL Programming 6e

Oracle PL/SQL programming, written by Steven Feuerstein. This definitive guide is what you need to make the most of Oracle’s. This SQL book describes the features and capabilities of PL/SQL up through Oracle Database 12c. Publisher: O′Reilly Latest Edition: 6th edition No of Pages: 1392 pages With a wide range of and a lively sense of humor, this SQL learning book explains language fundamentals. It also explains advanced coding techniques and best practices.

8) SQL Pocket Guide: A Guide to SQL Usage

SQL Pocket Guide was written by Jonathan Gennick. The book also teaches how the systems use SQL functions, regular expression syntax, and type conversion functions. All examples given SQL statements in this book execute against a set of tables, with data that you can quickly download. Publisher: O′Reilly Latest Edition: 3rd edition No of Pages: 208 pages The book covers topics like Oracle’s support of the recursive with syntax and the addition of PIVOT and UNPIVOT operators. The book also covers how you can PostgreSQL’s support of recursive with window functions, DB2 syntax, and datatypes, etc.

9) Effective SQL: 61 Specific Ways to Write Better SQL

Effective SQL, written by John L. Viecas, offers practical solutions and insight about SQL. This book helps you to solve various issues with SQL and design databases that simplify data management in the future. Publisher: Addison-Wesley Latest Edition: 1st edition No of Pages: 352 pages After the end of the book, you will learn how to create better logical data models, manage external data from sources, Extract and aggregate the information, etc.

10) SQL Antipatterns: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Database Programming

SQL Anitpaattern is a book written by Bill Karwin. The book is divided into four chapters. Every chapter in this book helps you identify, explain, and correct a unique and dangerous antipattern. The four parts are logical database design, physical database design, queries, and application development. Publisher: O′Reilly Latest Edition: 1st edition No of Pages: 300 pages You’ll also learn about the best and most current technology for full-text search on how to design code, which is resistant to SQL injection attacks and other techniques for success.

11) SQL For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

SQL for Dummies is a popular book written by Allen G. Taylor. This bestseller book shows programmers and web developers how to use SQL to build relational databases. Publisher: For Dummies Latest Edition: 9th edition No of Pages: 512 pages This best book for SQL covers all the stuff which you need to know to make working with SQL easier than ever. The topic of this book includes how to use SQL to structure a DBMS, implement a database design, and retrieve information from a database, etc.

12) SQL Database Programming

This book is perfect for end-users, analysts, data scientists, and app developers. This best-selling guide will get you up and running with SQL, the language of databases. In this book, you will also find general concepts and clear explanations of what the various SQL statements can do. Publisher: Questing Vole Press Latest Edition: 4th edition  No of Pages: 604 pages It contains hundreds of examples of various complexity experiment which you can explore. You can also download the sample database to follow along with the author’s examples.

13) High-Performance MySQL: Optimization, Backups, and Replication

High-Performance MySQL is written by Baron Schwartz. In this book, you’ll learn advanced techniques for designing indexes, and queries to tuning your MySQL server, operating system, and hardware into their full potential. Publisher: O′Reilly Latest Edition: 3rd edition No of Pages: 828 pages This best SQL book for beginners also helps learn practical methods to scale applications through replication, load balancing, and failover. The book also teaches you why this system works as it does, with illustrative stories and case studies.

14) The Art of SQL

The Art of SQL, author Stephane Faroult argues that this “safe approach” only leads to disaster. The code must be fast and sound from the start, and that requires a clear understanding of SQL and relational concepts. Publisher: O′Reilly Latest Edition: 1st edition No of Pages: 367 pages This book helps you to focus on strategy instead of specifics. In this end, we can say that writer Faroult’s way of looking at SQL can be unconventional and unique but helps you to create a correct approach for creating SQL queries.

FAQs:

🏅 What is SQL?

SQL is the standard language for dealing with Relational Databases. SQL can be used to insert, search, update, and delete database records. SQL can do lots of other operations, including optimizing and maintenance of databases.

📚 Which are the best SQL books?

Following are some of the best SQL books for beginners and advanced programmers

SQL in 10 Minutes, Sams Teach Yourself SQL Practice Problems SQL Cookbook (O’Reilly) SQL Queries for Mere Mortals: A Hands-On Guide to Data Manipulation in SQL Learning SQL: Master SQL Fundamentals

🚀 Why should you learn SQL?

SQL is an easy-to-learn language specifically designed to work with databases. There is a growing demand for professionals who can handle databases. Almost every big company is using SQL. It is widely used in various sectors like ticket booking, banking, social media platforms, data sharing, eCommerce, etc., so there are vast opportunities available for the SQL developer.