Re: Good Books

On Thu, 2005-03-24 at 06:37, postgresql(at)bryden(dot)co(dot)za wrote:
> Hi
>
> I am new to PostgreSQL and find that the standard documentation is very
> thin. I would like to buy a more comprehensive book. All the available
> books seem very out of date!!! Firstly, does it matter if I buy a book
> that was published in Feb 2003? Will such a book be hopelessly out of
> date?
>
> Does anyone know of any books that will be releasing imminently?

The first books to pick up and become familiar with are the ones on
database theory, not specifically postgresql. While a lot of other
databases come with documentation that explains a lot of relational
theory, PostgreSQL comes with documentation that pretty much assumes you
already understand database basics and are looking for how to do some
particular thing in postgresql. So it's not that it's thin in terms of
covering PostgreSQL, but thin in terms that it's focus is not general
database theory, but postgresql specifics.

A lot of the books written about PostgreSQL have more information about
theory, but honestly, a good generic database oriented book is usually
more helpful at first for most folks.

If you're already familiar with basic db theory, then look for some of
the pgsql books that have been placed online by their publishers.