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Head First SQL
Your Brain on SQL -- A Learner's Guide
By Lynn Beighley
First Edition: August 2007
ISBN: 0-596-52684-9
Pages: 607

Price: $44.99 USD, £31.99 GBP
Buy two books, get the third FREE! Use discount code "OPC10"
This book qualifies for FREE SHIPPING within the US. See details.

Description
Is your data dragging you down? Are your tables all tangled up? Well we've got the tools to teach you just how to wrangle your databases into submission. Using the latest research in neurobiology, cognitive science, and learning theory to craft a multi-sensory SQL learning experience, Head First SQL has a visually rich format designed for the way your brain works, not a text-heavy approach that puts you to sleep.

Maybe you've written some simple SQL queries to interact with databases. But now you want more, you want to really dig into those databases and work with your data. Head First SQL will show you the fundamentals of SQL and how to really take advantage of it. We'll take you on a journey through the language, from basic INSERT statements and SELECT queries to hardcore database manipulation with indices, joins, and transactions. We all know "Data is Power" - but we'll show you how to have "Power over your Data". Expect to have fun, expect to learn, and expect to be querying, normalizing, and joining your data like a pro by the time you're finished reading!

Software Testing Practice: Test Management
A Study Guide for the Certified Tester Exam ISTQB Advanced Level
By Andreas Spillner, Tilo Linz, Thomas Rossner, Mario Winter
First Edition: August 2007
ISBN: 1-933952-13-X
Pages: 339

Price: $44.95 USD, £27.99 GBP
Buy two books, get the third FREE! Use discount code "OPC10"
This book qualifies for FREE SHIPPING within the US. See details.

Description
Aimed at software developers, project managers, quality managers, team leaders, or anyone wanting to become a true testing professional, The Software Testing Practice: Test Management addresses the major issues related to advanced, state-of-the-art test management. This book covers the syllabus required to pass the Certified Tester Examination - Advanced Level as defined by the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB).

Included are best practices in the field of testing, as well as detailed descriptions of involved tasks, roles, and responsibilities. Well suited for self-study, the reader is "taken by the hand" and guided through the key concepts and terminology of software testing in a variety of scenarios and case studies (as featured in the first book in this series, Software Testing Foundations).

Not only will testers and test managers find this a must-read, but anyone requiring advanced professional knowledge and skills in this field will find this book a must for a successful, well-founded education in advanced test management.