Need recommendations on good SQL books

[Harsh Gupta]

I have started to read this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Server-2000-Programming-Example/dp/0789724499/ref=pd_bbs_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210873616&sr=8-9

And maybe I will go through SQL Server 2000 Unleashed (http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Server-2000-Programming-Example/dp/0789724499/ref=pd_bbs_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210873616&sr=8-9)

I am trying to practice and improve on "How to write better T-SQL queries", and "Optimizing queries".

Could anyone recommend a good book for the same?

Thank you

[Hack]

szlamany recommended this, and I really like it.

http://www.amazon.com/Professional-SQL-Server-2000-Programming/dp/1861004486

[alex_read]

I second that, the Wrox SQL Server one (and practice) are all I've ever needed.

[szlamany]

I just grabbed that WROX book off my shelf the other day to research a "large datatype" issue. It's well laid out - a good first read and useful even 6 years later!

If you want to learn about optimizing queries then you need to know the engine really well. Kalen Delaney wrote a book called "Inside MS SQL Server" - by MS Press. There is an older 2000 version and a newer 2005 edition as well. This book will really help you understand why a choice of this-or-that makes a difference in your query execution.