This book is among the finest works on SQL Server which I've ever read. Joseph Sack has a well-deserved reputation for quality writing, yet I'm frankly more impressed than I expected to be. I've read many of his articles & the previous edition of this book has long been one of my favorites.
This latest-&-greatest edition, SQL Server 2008 Transact-SQL Recipes, has lots of new material & is his best yet. Joe's writing style is clear, concise, & comprehensive. The approach is unique, the chapter sections flow logically from one to anothter, yet they are written in independent vignettes for byte-sized consumption. His examples allow us to play along at home. They are accompanied by lucid explanations. The book doesn't stoop to copying code, but instead relies on unique examples followed by my favorite feature of all: "How It Works" in which the concepts are characterized in plain English. You'll enjoy it, too.
If it can be done in Transact-SQL, Joe teaches us not merely how it's done, but how it's done right. Topics run the gamut from fundamental concepts such as interrogating tables, creating views, defining indexes, & writing stored procedures, triggers, & functions, to more complex topics such as error handling & principals to newer constructions such as XML, Service Broker, CLR, spatial data, encryption, & auditing--& much more.
I used the book as my primary resource to study successfully for 70-441 & 70-442 (MCITP: DB Dev). I recommend it to all my customers. If you're a SQL Server DBA or a developer, I recommend this book is for you as well.
Jimmy May
Microsoft Sr. Performance Consultant: SQL Server
SQL Server Pros, Founder & Visionary-in-Chief
Indianapolis Professional Association for SQL Server, Founder & Executive Committee