MVP SQL Deep Dives
One of the best projects that I've been involved with this year--other than the SQL Server 2008 AppDev courses, of course!--was the SQL Server MVP Deep Dives from Manning Publications. This is an extraordinary book for two main reasons:
- The chapters were written by 53 Microsoft MVPs, including some of the best and brightest on both the DBA and developer sides of SQL Server. It blows my mind that such a diverse herd of cats came together to produce such a book. The result is good, really really good.
- All of the authors' royalties--every last cent--is going to an amazing charity, War Child International.
Here's the official description:
This is no ordinary SQL Server book. In SQL Server MVP Deep Dives, the world's leading experts and practitioners offer a masterful collection of techniques and best practices for SQL Server development and administration. 53 MVPs each pick an area of passionate interest to them and then share their insights and practical know-how with you.
SQL Server MVP Deep Dives is organized into five parts: Design and Architecture, Development, Administration, Performance Tuning and Optimization, and Business Intelligence. In each, you'll find concise, brilliantly clear chapters that take on key topics like mobile data strategies, Dynamic Management Views, or query performance.
I was privileged to contribute chapter 16, Table-Valued Parameters, one of the best of the new T-SQL features in SQL Server 2008.
The project was conceived by Paul Nielsen and managed to completion by Paul, Kalen Delaney, Greg Low, Adam Machanic, Paul S. Randal, and Kimberly L. Tripp, all of whom also contributed at least one chapter.
The book launched at the SQL PASS Summit last week in Seattle. It's been a long time since I've been involved in a book launch, but this one was amazing. As you can see in the photos below, the event started with a few words by the main participants, followed by a long line of book signings. Some 30 of the authors were on hand to sign books, and a LOT of people brought their books for a signature. On top of that, we signed copies for Microsoft executives and each other. It was a hoot!
If you have anything at all to do with SQL Server, please consider picking up a copy. If you buy it through this link, War Child gets a bit larger slice of the price. And even if you don't want the book, please consider making a donation directly to War Child! They do amazing work.