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Books and Blogs
Updated: 3 April 2013
For a real treat, check out SQL Server MVP Deep Dives, Volumes 1 and 2.
These books were written by dozens of SQL Server MVPs, writing on topics they are most passionate about. All of the royalties to the War Child charity (Volume 1), and Operation Smile (Volume 2). the Publisher, Manning Publications, is giving a larger than usual percentage.
The books include instructions on how to download a free electronic version.
Take a look at free ebooks from RedGate:
http://www.red-gate.com/about/book_store/index.htm
Also, look at other free stuff from Quest:
http://www.quest.com/backstage/promotion.aspx
Many people have asked me for recommendations for books to get started with SQL Server. They want to be able to read my book, but some of the concepts are just too advanced for a first book.
It’s hard for me to know what books are really going to help someone just getting started, as I have been working with SQL Server for 25 years. So my recommendations are partly based on knowing one or more of the authors, and recognizing the quality of their SQL Server experience. Most of these books were written by one or more SQL Server MVPs. Here are several more books that will give you more fundamental information and prepare you for SQL Server 2008 Internals.
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Bible
Unfortunately, the SQL Server 2012 version of the book was not written by Paul, so I am unable to comment on the quality.
Here are a few other book recommendations, but the list is always growing!
Pro SQL Server 2012 Relational Database Design and Implementation
by Louis Davidson and Jessica Moss
SQL Server 2012 T-SQL Fundamentals
SQL Server 2008 T-SQL Fundamentals
by Itzik Ben-Gan
And for troubleshooting information, including how to use a lot of the internals information I present in my Internals book, take a look here:
Troubleshooting SQL Server - A Guide for the Accidental DBA
By Jonathan Kehayias and Ted Krueger
SQL Server Team Blogs
For more advanced SQL Server topics, on a wide variety of topics, there is no better source than the SQL Server Team at Microsoft. Many of the Team members have started blogging regularly through MSDN.
Through this link you can find all the Microsoft bloggers, plus most of the SQL Server MVP blogs as well:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/bb671052
And of course, there are plenty of blogs written by SQL Server experts and enthusiasts NOT on the SQL Server Team.
Over two dozen SQL Server professionals including over a dozen SQL Server MVPs (one of which is yours truly) blog at
Several of my co-authors, including Paul Randal, Bob Beauchemin, Jonathan Kehayias, and Kimberly Tripp, blog at SQLSkills.com:
http://www.sqlskills.com/blogs/paul
http://www.sqlskills.com/blogs/bobb
http://www.sqlskills.com/blogs/jonathan
http://www.sqlskills.com/blogs/kimberly