The Manga Guide to Databases

by Mana Takahashi, Shoko Azuma, Co Ltd Trend

Overview

Want to learn about databases without the tedium? With its unique combination of Japanese-style comics and serious educational content, The Manga Guide to Databases is just the book for you.

Princess Ruruna is stressed out. With the king and queen away, she has to manage the Kingdom of Kod's humongous fruit-selling empire. Overseas departments, scads of inventory, conflicting prices, and so many customers! It's all such a confusing mess. But a mysterious book and a helpful fairy promise to solve her organizational problems—with the practical magic of databases.

In The Manga Guide to Databases, Tico the fairy teaches the Princess how to simplify her data management. We follow along as they design a relational database, understand the entity-relationship model, perform basic database operations, and delve into more advanced topics. Once the Princess is familiar with transactions and basic SQL statements, she can keep her data timely and accurate for the entire kingdom. Finally, Tico explains ways to make the database more efficient and secure, and they discuss methods for concurrency and replication.

Examples and exercises (with answer keys) help you learn, and an appendix of frequently used SQL statements gives the tools you need to create and maintain full-featured databases.

(Of course, it wouldn't be a royal kingdom without some drama, so read on to find out who gets the girl—the arrogant prince or the humble servant.)

This EduManga book is a translation of a bestselling series in Japan, co-published with Ohmsha, Ltd., of Tokyo, Japan.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781593271909
Publisher:	No Starch Press
Publication date:	01/15/2009
Series:	Manga Guide to Science Series
Edition description:	Illustrate
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	401,793
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	12 Years

About the Author

Mana Takahashi is a graduate of the Tokyo University, Faculty of Economics. She is an active technical writer and has published a number of books on topics such as Java, C, XML, Information Engineering, and System Administration.

Table of Contents

Preface
Chapter 1: What is a Database?
Chapter 2: What is a Relational Database?
Chapter 3: Let's Design a Database
Chapter 4: Let's Use a Database - Basic Operation of SQL
Chapter 5: Let's Operate the Database
Chapter 6: Spread and Contribution of Databases
Appendix: Frequently Used SQL Statements
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

"Highly recommended."
—Choice Magazine

"This is a solid book and I wish there were more like it in the IT world."
—Slashdot

"Without a doubt, The Manga Guide to Databases was the most enjoyable tech book I've ever read. . . . I loved this book and highly recommend it if you'd like a beginner's book with a fun overview of databases, served up manga-style."
—Rikki Kite, Linux Pro Magazine

"Whether you're new to the whole concept of databases, or a hard-core database geek, you need to have The Manga Guide to Databases. Really, you want this book."
—Josh Berkus, PostgreSQL Core Team

"For an American audience, this is certainly off-the-beaten-path approach to technical training. However, its ability to effectively plunge into a topic that can be a morass of arcane theory is undeniable. Over the years, we've learned to expect the unexpected from No Starch Press."
—MacDirectory

"This book is by far the best book I have read on the subject. I think this book absolutely rocks and recommend it to anyone working with or just interested in databases."
—Geek at Large

"From data tables to flow charts, The Manga Guide to Databases is a valuable resource to students who wish to know more about the process of information manipulation and storage."
—Eclectic Homeschool Online

"Love, intrigue, and databases—yes!"
—Adobe.shobes

"If you're in the market to learn more about databases and you hate normal tech books this is a great pickup."
—The CaffiNation Podcast

"If you need to learn about databases and you're tired of the Databases for Dummies-type fare, pick up this guide! If you plan on running your own business and are a manga fanatic, drop everything and pick up this guide!"
—Anime 3000

"The Manga Guide to Databases is not just a lightweight illustrated treatment of RDBMSs. I like that the book covers different data models, and includes a discussion of some relational operations. The explanations of transactions and ACID principles were very concise and clear. This book gets bonus points for having a thorough index and a 'frequently used SQL statements' cheat sheet."
—Bacon and Tech 

"I tested the book on a genuine teen, my son John. . . When I quizzed him about database design, he really had picked up the essentials. He told me about one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many relationships; the importance of a primary key; and using transactions to avoid corrupting the database."
—AppScout

The Manga Guide to Databases "is a light, impressively non-oppressive read, especially considering the technical nature of its subject."
—Ain't It Cool News 

"A clear and solid foundation for further study."
—Matthew Helmke (dot) Net

"SQL is no longer a total mystery to me."
—Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Teen Services

"Somehow, it all works together. There's an awful lot of information conveyed as Ruruna and Cain modernize their country."
—Comics Worth Reading

"Those who are just getting started with relational database design and data modeling will find this guide to be entertaining and extremely comprehensive."
—Cloud-Based Application Platform and PaaS by LongJump

"It’s relatively easy, completely fun, and explains a lot of how each part of a database relates to another. Besides, Tico the fairy is cute, too!"
—Sequential Tart

From the Publisher