Customer Rating: 
Summary: A Very Good Book to Start With
Comment: This is a book that surely covers the basics everybody involved in database design needs to know.
A first chapter, named "What Can Go Wrong", somewhat short, is all about the shortcomings that will ensue from a poorly modeled database.
A summary of the development process, from problem statement to design then to implementation follows. Requirements and use cases are addressed right after.
Data Modeling is addressed in the next 6 chapters, with the support of sound and sensibly chosen practical examples. Usual database design topics such as Relationship Cardinalities, Specialization, Generalization, Normalization, Constraints, etc. are well explained in a very practical way. There is not much theory in there.
The Queries chapter is MS Access-oriented and, as such, does not give much insight on SQL constructs, although some are provided as examples. If your project requires serious SQL querying, you'll definitely need additional SQL book(s).
This book is clearly aimed at beginners and mainly intended for small and "simple" database designs, standalone MS Access applications. If you are new to database design, this is a very good book to start with, but if your database project requires more complex design, you'll definitely need to get additional reading digging deeper into Data Modeling and SQL.
The book is accessible, easily understandable and well illustrated. I've noticed no typing errors.
To get the most out of this book, I would recommend putting it into application in a small standalone MS Access database design of your own, and then only moving on to further reading.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Mixed feelings
Comment: This is a good book, however, I have found the following to be not enough developed enough:
- Database design software. Aside from MS Access and phpMyAdmin, the author should have talked about other applications to build the database. Applications that come to mind are MySQL Workbench, Toad, DBDesigner, etc...
- OO database development. The author gives an overview of how it works, but doesn't explain precisely how to make it happen, like she did for relational database systems.
But if, like me, you are only interested in relational database development, and if you know about a good visual database-modeling application, this book is excellent.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Ehhhh...
Comment: Not so sure if I like this book. I mean, maybe its good for some, but I dont really have much interest in Databases (I had to buy it for my class) so it wasn't really to my liking. I would prefer more pictures and stuff. But my teacher likes it so... yep.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Just what a beginner in database design needs.
Comment: Clare Churcher is an excellent teacher! She can explain difficult things in a clear and concise way. This is e.g. the first book who explains table joins to me without getting a hazy feel in the head. Nice to have this book as a first introduction. For digging a little bit deeper in the subject I would reccommend Beginning Database Design (Wrox Beginning Guides) wich I also bought.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Comment: I am about 1/2 way through this book and all the things that I thought I would get out of it, I haven't. It is a fast read, but it is lacking in content.
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