This is an ordered list (not a relation!) of my reading recommendations that emphasize relational fundamentals and building upon that to create great database models and implementations. Many other specific recommendations are scattered throughout the Training Slides (in the notes), for those who have copies of them.
1. C.J. Date, Database In Depth: Relational Theory for Practitioners. O'Reilly Media: 2005. ISBN: 0-596-10012-4. (Amazon link.)
This should be required reading for anyone who is a database professional. This really is a "greatest hits" of the core concepts Date has been espousing for years and which too few people really understand. If you read only one "theory" book, make it this one!
2. C.J. Date, "What First Normal Form Really Means." (Article)
You can get this directly (for a fee) via www.dbdebunk.com, or as Chapter 8 in the recently released compilation of Chris's writings (see below, #11).
This has given me more comprehension, per page of reading, about the relational model than any other thing I have read. It is so much easier to understand this one concept deeply, once, than to read and re-read the pithy two-paragraph spouting found in most modeling books about "eliminating repeating groups."
3. Graeme C. Simsion and Graham C. Witt, Data Modeling Essentials (3rd ed.). Morgan Kaufmann: 2004. ISBN: 0-12-644551-6. (Amazon link.)
This is my favorite data modeling book and has a very pragmatic balance over theory for theory's sake. It also does an excellent job explaining the more advanced normalization issues. (Note, it does not include anything on 6NF.)
If you have more a coding bias in your database work, I'd put Code Complete (next) higher on the list than this.
4. Steve McConnell, Code Complete (2nd ed.). Microsoft Press: 2004. ISBN: 0-7356-19670. (Amazon link.)
Simply one of the best software engineering books ever published. This will help you become a better programmer no matter what language you use.
If you have more a modeling/design bias in your database work, I'd put Data Modeling Essentials (above) higher on your list.
5. Joe Celko, SQL For Smarties: Advanced SQL Programming (3rd ed.). Morgan-Kaufmann: 2005. ISBN: 0123693799. (Amazon link.)
Celko is the main guy for coding great SQL and solving problems the "SQL way" that might not be otherwise intuitive. I recommend having and referencing 2 or 3 of his books as needed.
Note, however, he is no expert at pure relational ideas and often contradicts what I think is a mor academically-correct approach. Read Date for "what's right" and read Celko for "how to get the job done."
6. Stuart R. Faulk, "Software Requirements: A Tutorial." In Software Requirements Engineering, 2nd ed., 1997. (Amazon link for the whole book, or just the article can be found here and other places (just do a search).)
Not only an excellent summary of the Requirements problem as a whole, but an excellent article on how to design work-products (like requirements or models) to be useful to the audience.
7. Robin Williams, The Non-Designer's Design Book, 3rd ed. Peachpit Press: 2008. ISBN: 0-321-19385-7. (Not that Robin Williams!) (Amazon link.)
Your models are only as good as they communicate. This book is a great primer for generally making designed things (documents in particular) good without going through college as a graphic designer. I think anyone who produces materials for others to consume should read this. It's pretty short and fun.
8. Hugh Darwin, "The Askew Wall" (presentation). (Available here.)
Darwin walks through just some of the most egregious problems with the SQL language. Covers both non-relational aspects of SQL as well as just language design issues.
The rest of the list . . .
. . . are better for a team reference library and shared as needed. Most are a read-once, or an occasional reference, but very useful.
9. C.J. Date, The Database Relational Model: A Retrospective Review and Analysis. Addison Wesley: 2001. ISBN: 0-201-61294-1. (Amazon link.)
Reading this short book is probably more useful than reading Codd's original papers. Chris explains those two seminal papers and comments on areas that have changed (few!) and how they stand up to today's criticisms.
10. C.J. Date, An Introduction to Database Systems, 8th ed. Addison-Wesley: 2004. ISBN: 0321197844. (Amazon link.)
This is a de-facto text book for advanced undergraduate or graduate level database courses and is really what put Chris Date "on the map" for his expertise and clear writing. The 8th edition is worth having if for no other reason than Appendix A which shows by example some of why the "Transrelational Model" could be so revolutionary in implementing truly relational products.
11. C.J. Date, Date on Database: Writings 2000-2006. Apress: 2006. ISBN: 1-59059-746-X. (Amazon link.)
Chris's shorter writings (articles, whitepapers) become available occasionally in collections like this one. Buying this one book gives you "What First Normal Form Really Means" (#2 above) in Chapter 8, and some great retrospective on Ted Codd in Chapter 1, among many other great topics.
After purchase, you can spend an extra $10 to get the downloadable PDF version of the book from Apress.
12. Len Silverston, The Data Model Resource Book. (2 volumes.) Wiley: 2001. ISBN (vol. 1): 0-471-38023-7, (vol. 2): 0-471-35378-5. (Amazon links to Volume 1 and Volume 2.)
Len's is the best compilation of ready-made database designs covering various common business scenarios (Volume 1) and some specific industries (Volume 2). I don't advocate using the designs verbatim, but they are a great reference and idea source. It's useful to cross-check your own designs with ones this veteran of the field has assembled as a sanity check.
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Database, Database Design, Software Engineering
relational, sql, modeling, books