SQL Server Books for DBAs

I remember what it was like when starting as a DBA. How do you know who you can trust to give you quality information? You don’t, so you rely on your friends to recommend some good quality SQL Server books.

If you only had time to read one book before taking on a project, do you know which book to reach for, or order? It is my hope that the books I list here will be able to help you along.

If you have a review you would like to give on a book you feel should be included, just drop me an email.

SQL Server 2016 Books

Here are the books I recommend that are currently available for SQL 2016.

The Trouble With Database Triggers

Pro SQL Server Internals 2nd ed.

Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2016

T-SQL Fundamentals (3rd Edition)

SQL Server 2016 High Availability Unleashed

SQL Server 2014 Books

Here are the books I recommend that are currently available for SQL 2014.

SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

SQL Server Internals: In-Memory OLTP: Inside the SQL Server 2014 Hekaton Engine

Professional Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Administration

Pro SQL Server Internals

SQL Server 2012 Books

Here are the books I recommend that are available for SQL 2012.

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 T-SQL Fundamentals

Professional SQL Server 2012 Internals and Troubleshooting

T-SQL Fundamentals for Microsoft SQL Server 2012 and SQL Azure

SQL Server 2012 Query Performance Tuning

Professional Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Administration

Expert Performance Indexing for SQL Server 2012

Pro SQL Server 2012 Relational Database Design and Implementation

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;A HREF=”http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_cw&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fsq0f-20%2F8010%2F8b4ec59f-93b7-4e0d-8280-baed62b4ef0d&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;Operation=NoScript”&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Amazon.com Widgets&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/A&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

DBA Technical Books

Here are the books I recommend in terms of building a base technical knowledge on databases and virtualization.

VMware vSphere 6.5 Host Resources Deep Dive

Virtualizing SQL Server with VMware: Doing IT Right

Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Internals (Pro – Developer)

Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 T-SQL Fundamentals (PRO-Developer)

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Management and Administration

SQL Server 2008 Query Performance Tuning Distilled (Expert’s Voice in SQL Server)

Kimball’s Data Warehouse Toolkit Classics: The Data Warehouse Toolkit, 2nd Edition; The Data Warehouse Lifecycle, 2nd Edition; The Data Warehouse ETL Toolk

Pro SQL Server 2008 Policy-Based Management

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Administrator’s Pocket Consultant

Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V: Insiders Guide to Microsoft’s Hypervisor

Securing SQL Server: Protecting Your Database from Attackers

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;A HREF=”http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_cw&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fsq0f-20%2F8010%2F8b4ec59f-93b7-4e0d-8280-baed62b4ef0d&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;Operation=NoScript”&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Amazon.com Widgets&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/A&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Data Analytics and Insights

Here are the books I recommend for data professionals that are looking enter into the field of business analytics.

Predictive Analytics: The Power to Predict Who Will Click, Buy, Lie, or Die

Data Science for Business: What you need to know about data mining and data-analytic thinking

Super Freakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

DAX Formulas for PowerPivot: The Excel Pro’s Guide to Mastering DAX

PowerPivot for the Data Analyst: Microsoft Excel 2010 (MrExcel Library)

Visualizing Data with Microsoft Power View

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Analysis Services: The BISM Tabular Model

Expert Cube Development with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services

Microsoft PowerPivot for Excel 2010: Give Your Data Meaning

Delivering Business Intelligence with Microsoft SQL Server 2012 3/E

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;A HREF=”http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_cw&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fsq0f-20%2F8010%2F8b4ec59f-93b7-4e0d-8280-baed62b4ef0d&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;Operation=NoScript”&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Amazon.com Widgets&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/A&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

DBA Professional Development Books

Here are the books I would recommend with regards to professional development for DBA’s. They are all focused on improving your soft skills. The other book libraries contain a wealth of information to help you with your technical skills.

Writing That Works: How to Communicate Effectively in Business

The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win

Kitchen Confidential Updated Ed: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.)

The Jelly Effect: How to Make Your Communication Stick

Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time

The Whuffie Factor: Using the Power of Social Networks to Build Your Business

Driving Results Through Social Networks: How Top Organizations Leverage Networks for Performance and Growth (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership)

ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income

How To Start A Conversation And Make Friends

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You

The Education of an Accidental CEO: Lessons Learned from the Trailer Park to the Corner Office

Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully

DBA Database Design Books

Here books I recommend with regards to database design. I consider design to be a lost art these days due to advances in hardware. Powerful CPU, lots of memory, and fast disks are able to overcome and hide bad database designs. Typically bad designs are only exposed after being deployed to production. I hope these books can help someone to avoid such a situation.

Designing Effective Database Systems (Addison-Wesley Microsoft Technology Series)

Pro SQL Server 2008 Relational Database Design and Implementation

A Developer’s Guide to Data Modeling for SQL Server: Covering SQL Server 2005 and 2008

Kimball’s Data Warehouse Toolkit Classics: The Data Warehouse Toolkit, 2nd Edition

The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit

Beginning Database Design: From Novice to Professional

DBA Database Modeling Books

Here are the books I would recommend with regards to database modeling.

The Data Model Resource Book, Vol. 1: A Library of Universal Data Models for All Enterprises

The Data Model Resource Book, Vol. 2: A Library of Data Models for Specific Industries

The Data Model Resource Book, Vol. 3: Universal Patterns for Data Modeling

Data Modeling Essentials, Third Edition

Data Modeling Theory and Practice

Data Modeling Made Simple with CA ERwin Data Modeler r8

Data Modeling for the Business: A Handbook for Aligning the Business with IT using High-Level Data Models (Take It with You Guides)

Some Favorite Non-SQL Books

Here are some of my favorite books that are not related to SQL.

Code Warriors: NSA’s Codebreakers and the Secret Intelligence War Against the Soviet Union

The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters

The Best of Adam Sharp: A Novel

The Rosie Project: A Novel

The Rosie Effect: A Novel (Don Tillman Book 2)

Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors

A Brief History of Time

Parallel Universes

Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays

Why Nothing Can Travel Faster Than Light… : And Other Explorations in Nature’s Curiosity Shop

Physics For the Rest of Us

Enjoy!