This book, which provides an introduction to IBM’s flagship database management system (DBMS), DB2, is yet another in the James Martin series on information technology. It is divided into six main sections. The first two give a general introduction to relational database technology and SQL. The following sections cover DB2-specific topics: “Query Management Facility (QMF),” “Application Programming,” and “DB2 System Administration.” The book ends with a discussion of IBM’s application development products. The authors present what is essentially a user’s view of DB2 and virtually ignore such issues as physical database design and performance. The two introductory sections, which make up almost a third of the book, would not (after some minor editing) be out of place in any book on relational databases, including others in Martin’s series. Indeed, I was amused to note in the acknowledgements that the SQL examples presented in the text were initially worked using the Oracle DBMS.

As with many other books by Martin, this work is well organized, clearly written, and easy to read. The introduction to SQL is particularly well done and contains comprehensive illustrations of the use of the various commands.

It is not clear, however, who the target readers of this book are. The level of the presentation suggests DB2 novices, and the extensive introduction to relational DBMSs and SQL would be appropriate for people who are not familiar with database technology in general. I can envisage, therefore, that the book would provide useful preparatory reading for a newly appointed, inexperienced applications programmer in an organization that uses DB2. As with most of Martin’s books, this volume is almost totally devoid of references; the only “exercise” I could find was near the beginning of the book (p. 33), where the reader is invited to verify how closely DB2 adheres to Codd’s 12 rules, which are not specified in detail. I think the reader would find this task impossible even after he or she had read the whole book, let alone just the first few pages.

This book is undeniably informative and readable, although I find the chatty, slightly patronizing, lecturing style somewhat irritating.