If you're just starting out on the SQL road and you don't mind being taught like you are a five year old (and I mean that in the nicest possible way), then this book is a must. This book is written in a way that literally anyone can understand. The trickiest part is having to download the RDBMS. In this respect the book is slightly wayward with its instructions, however, in the authors' defence they do clearly say you should follow the website's instructions as installation procedures may change.