Ever go to a smorgasbord (or perhaps a dim sum)? The idea is that you have a wonderful assortment of dishes that you can select from. Whatever your appetite or culinary preference, there's something for you.

That's the main idea behind the style of Rod Stephens book. He states that you could read it cover to cover like a tutorial, but then goes on to suggest which chapters should be read for different readers and requirements. Clearly, the book is intended to be one of those that you dip into at random when the need comes up.

And there is just enough formal syntax and reference to satisfy most of us, but not so much that your eyes will glaze over trying to get through it. But ... somehow ... many readers are going to leave the table feeling that something in the feast was lacking. The problem is that some of the feast isn't fully baked quite yet.

To illustrate what I mean, take the (actually, really excellent) utility in Chapter 6 called RunScript. At the end of a chapter on SQL Server and with little introduction, Rod throws in a program that must be one of his main consulting tools. ("Many of the commercial applications I have written have contained similar tools for use by advanced users.") Although it's really not a great example of how to process a database ("This program's database programming code is relatively simple."), it's exactly the kind of tool that a real world production application can use. The problem is that you have to figure out how to do it virtually by yourself. Fewer pages are devoted to explaining the program than to simply listing the code - and you can download that. And the download you get is far more extensive than the simple listing in the book. Some dining at this table might be forgiven for complaining that they are being asked to go into the kitchen and cook the meal themselves.

If, however, you are a "cook it yourself" kind of person, Rod's book has some of the finest ingredients you could ever hope for. And since it's a relatively slim volume with a relatively slim price to match, it's a real value for the money.

About the Author

With more than a dozen technical books to his credit, you're getting an experienced author here. I often wonder how authors like Rod manage to do so much so quickly. And Rod's personal web page is a great resource for students and professionals alike. If you're interested in getting to know Rod more personally, the download for the RunScript program mentioned above also includes pictures of Rod, his family, and his cats and dog!