SQL databases can be daunting but can also be very fun if you know how to use them. The information contained in a database can provide many insights to someone who knows how to properly query and manipulate the data. Practical SQL, 2nd Edition: A Beginner's Guide to Storytelling with Data by Anthony DeBarros teaches readers how to do just that.
The content
DeBarros, currently a data editor at the Wall Street Journal, pulls from his practical experience in journalism to teach readers how to tell stories with data. The book consists of an introduction, 20 chapters, and several appendices. The introduction sets the tone for the book, explaining what the book is about and who it is for, and the 20 chapters teach lessons about various database topics. Chapter 1 is the traditional "how to set up your environment" chapter and covers how to install PostgreSQL on Windows, macOS, or Linux (specifically, Ubuntu). The following chapters cover the basics of working with SQL databases, like creating databases and tables, performing basic queries, understanding data types, importing and exporting data, and basic math and stats functions. The chapters then progress to more complex topics like joining tables and extracting, inspecting, and modifying data. By the time the reader reaches the book's midpoint,