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Thought I would add some comments to this thread. I recently bought
the K. Douglas & S. Douglas (2006) "PostgreSQL: The comprehensive guide to
building, programming, and administering PostgreSQL databases", 2nd ed (1006
pages). At $50, it is a bit pricey, but that is the case with all
technical books (probably cheaper at Amazon than where I got it). This
edition covers PostgreSQL up to version 8.0 and provides nice history,
discussion of the advantages of open-source programs, and a good description of
the features of PostgreSQL. Nice (and well deserved) comments about the
development team.
My major criterion in deciding whether the book is worthwhile is whether it
adds anything to the excellent documentation provided with PostgreSQL - after
all, what other open-source program has a 1400 page manual? The book is
definitely worth having. It provides nice explanations and walk-throughs
for various tasks that go beyond the basic PostgreSQL documentation.
The book is organized as a tutorial around a database for a video
store. This is a good way to teach the program and present examples.
However, there is an inherent shortcoming in this approach if you want to use
this book as a reference. If you want to look up a specific subject
(e.g., SQL implementation, psql interface), you may have to look in several
different places to get the information you want. This is because the
explanations are presented as the specific tasks (installation, set up, etc.)
are described. For a desktop reference, the information would be organized
by topic rather than by task. To minimize the inconvenience, the book has
a very good index.
So, bottom line, this is an extensive, tutorial-oriented text with good
examples and explanations that go beyond the basic PostgreSQL
documentation. It is well written, clear, and the authors clearly have a
strong grasp of the technical aspects of PostgreSQL. Definitely worth
having!
Michael Schmidt
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