Software engineering in the 21st century depends heavily on the science of designing and implementing databases. Many software applications work or fail based on the methods used to implement the underlying databases. This book focuses on the implementation of databases from a software engineering perspective.

This book is divided into three parts: the first describes the basics of relational database design, the second explores the database design process, and the third presents a few database design issues not covered in the second part.

Part 1 begins with a description of the early models used to develop databases, along with some of the fundamental aspects of database design, such as normalization. It also identifies a few key terms associated with database structure. Part 2 focuses on the strategies and methods used to develop a successful database design. For instance, there is a clear description of the interview process required to obtain the right information from the end users of the database. The book concludes with a discussion of some of the common mistakes database designers may make.

New topics in this third edition include a discussion of the techniques used for interviewing individuals, and a description of how to gather requirements for a database application, which is very difficult to find in most database design books.

Overall, the author describes the topics in the book with simple language, making it easy for readers with a nontechnical background to understand. Based on that perspective, this book will be quite useful for individuals who have very little experience dealing with databases, but wish to understand some of the fundamentals of database design and implementation. However, it may not be the right choice for students trying to study the science of database design and implementation, especially more complex issues such as normalization, relationships, and stored procedures.

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