I've spent my career working with databases — and watching smart people freeze the moment they open a query window.
SQL has a reputation for being harder than it is. Most guides pile on theory before you ever see a result. I wrote From Zero to SQL in 20 Lessons to do the opposite: get you running real queries against real data in your first few minutes, then build up one small, practical step at a time.
Every example in the book is tested and ready to run in Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, and PostgreSQL, using the same friendly practice database — a small world of pet owners and their animals — so you can focus on learning the language instead of decoding the data.
Away from the page, I run Kovoco, where I help teams get more out of their SQL Server environments. This book is my way of handing the on-ramp I wish I'd had to anyone starting out.
Have a question, spotted something, or want another database covered? I read every message.
— Carlos L Chacon