Book: SQL Server Execution Plans

author: Grant Fritchey aka the ScaryDBA (http://www.scarydba.com/)

level: 300

Verdict:A good and very solid introduction to execution plans.

listprice:  $25

Grant Fritchey’s SQLserver Execution Plans is an introductory overview of execution plans in less than 250 pages. The target audience are developers and DBA’s who would like to understand about how their SQL code affects the execution plans and therefor performance. The book starts with explaining on how to acquire estimated and actual executionplans ( the GUI, text and XML variant), what the symbols in the graphical plan mean, to the more advanced topics, such as plancontrol via hints and planguides. The subjects are well taught, providing clear screenshots and the book doesn’t get fluffy of chatty.

This book won’t teach you SQLtuning skills, but a good understanding of executionplans is a first step toward this goal.

Clean layouts, good structure of the text, good teaching material.