15 Best SQL Books in 2024 [Learn SQL for Beginners and Beyond]

Best SQL Books: What is SQL?

SQL stands for Structured Query Language. Essentially, it is used to communicate with a database and is used to perform tasks like retrieving and updating data.

In fact, it’s the standard language for relational database management systems.

🧠 Did you know? According to the Information Technology Laboratory of NIST, SQL became standardized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 1986.

How many people use SQL?

According to JetBrains, over 7 million people use SQL globally.

What companies use SQL?

Some major companies that use SQL include:

✅ Microsoft

✅ Dell

✅ Stack Overflow

✅ Accenture

And many more.

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation if you buy something. Read my disclosure for more details.

TLDR: Best SQL Books This Year

🔥 Best Overall 🔥
Learning SQL: Generate, Manipulate, and Retrieve Data

💥 Best for Newbies 💥
SQL QuickStart Guide

💸 Best Value 💸
SQL Guide (Quick Study: SQL)

Best SQL Books

Now let’s take a look at the best SQL books of this year.

1. Learning SQL: Generate, Manipulate, and Retrieve Data

↘️ Ideal for: SQL newbies and experienced SQL developers
↘️ Topics covered: fundamentals and advanced features

Not only does Learning SQL teach you SQL basics, but you’ll learn some advanced concepts, too.

➡️ Learning SQL is one of the best SQL books for fast learners.

Each chapter focuses on a key SQL concept while providing tons of illustrations, examples and exercises. Some of what you’ll learn includes how to:

✅ generate, manipulate and retrieve data

✅ create database objects with SQL schema statements

✅ make datasets interact with queries

✅ convert and manipulate data

And beyond.

See what SQL developers are saying about Learning SQL:

This is one of the better books I have read. It has just the right amount of details at the right places.

– Agent Excel, SQL Developer

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📹 If videos are more your speed, be sure to check out Andrei Neagoie’s course Complete SQL + Databases Bootcamp on Zero to Mastery.

2. SQL QuickStart Guide: The Simplified Beginner’s Guide to Managing, Analyzing, and Manipulating Data With SQL

↘️ Ideal for: SQL newbies
↘️ Topics covered: SQL fundamentals

Unlike Learning SQL, you’ll learn nothing but the fundamentals here.

➡️ SQL QuickStart Guide is one of the best SQL books for absolute beginners.

You’ll move at a nice, slow pace. You’ll start by learning about the structure of databases like:

✅ what they are

✅ how they work

✅ how to navigate them

Then you’ll learn how to use SQL to retrieve and understand data. You’ll also discover the most important SQL queries and the professional applications of SQL.

If you’re looking for the SQL book for beginners, we think the SQL QuickStart Guide is the way to go.

See what SQL developers are saying about SQL QuickStart Guide:

You can’t make SQL any simpler than this.

– Malick3, SQL Developer

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✨ If you’re looking for interactivity, be sure to check out Educative.io’s course An Introductory Guide to SQL.

3. SQL Guide (Quick Study: SQL)

↘️ Ideal for: new and experienced SQL developers
↘️ Topics covered: overview, databases, order of operations

Unlike every other book on our list, SQL Guide is not actually a book — it’s the baddest-ass 4-page laminated sheet ever printed.

➡️ SQL Guide is not meant to be a complete immersion in SQL. It’s a quick reference sheet for new and experienced developers alike.

It highlights:

✅ SQL basics

✅ databases

✅ order of operations

✅ delimiters and operators

✅ DDL and DML

And that’s pretty much it.

So if you’re on a budget, scoop up this handy little guide.

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💥 Learn SQL with the interactive Codecademy course Learn SQL.

4. Practical SQL: A Beginner’s Guide to Storytelling with Data

↘️ Ideal for: advanced SQL newbies
↘️ Topics covered: automating tasks, cleaning data errors

Similar to Learning SQL, Practical SQL on No Starch Press is a fast-paced guide to learning how to build and manage your own databases. But Practical SQL actually moves a little bit faster.

➡️ Practical SQL is one of the best SQL books for advanced newbies.

You’ll start by learning the fundamentals of databases and SQL. Then by analyzing real-world data from government agencies, you’ll discover the tools needed to build databases and quickly access information.

You’ll also learn how to:

✅ aggregate, sort and filter data

✅ clean up data errors

✅ write queries for geographic information systems (GIS)

✅ automate tasks

And beyond.

The primary tools used in this book are the PostgreSQL database and the pgAdmin interface.

🔥 Geena’s Hot Take

We ❤️ No Starch Press to the 🌙 and back!

And that includes Practical SQL where you’ll speedily learn the ins and outs of SQL in a fun, engaging way.

If you consider yourself an advanced beginner, this is the book to get.

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🌊 Dive into the interactive Skill Track SQL Fundamentals on DataCamp.

5. SQL for Data Analysis: Advanced Techniques for Transforming Data into Insights

↘️ Ideal for: experienced SQL developers, data analysts, data scientists
↘️ Topics covered: advanced SQL techniques

Unlike other books on our list, SQL for Data Analysis is a must-have guide if you work with SQL databases on a professional level.

➡️ SQL for Data Analysis published by O’Reilly is one of the best SQL books for experienced SQL developers in data science career fields.

In addition to learning the key steps for preparing your data for analysis, you’ll:

✅ perform time series analysis

✅ use functions and operators for text analysis

✅ detect outliers in your data

✅ perform A/B testing

And more.

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6. SQL Cookbook: Query Solutions and Techniques for All SQL Users

↘️ Ideal for: new and experienced SQL programmers, analysts, data scientists, database administrators
↘️ Topics covered: problems, techniques and solutions

Unlike most other books on our list of best SQL books, SQL Cookbook is a resource for experienced developers who want to make their existing SQL skills more useful.

➡️ SQL Cookbook is one of the best SQL books for learning new problem-solving techniques.

You’ll find tons of examples and techniques you can use to navigate SQL. Examples are written in several flavors of SQL including:

✅ Oracle

✅ DB2

✅ SQL Server

✅ MySQL

✅ PostgreSQL

These recipes will prove to be a valuable problem-solving guide for everyday problems you’ll find using SQL. Some examples include common table expressions, window functions, numbers and strings.

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7. The Language of SQL

🧠 Fun fact: RealToughCandy used this book to learn SQL!

The Language of SQL is one of the more gentle introductions to SQL that we’ve found.

That’s because rather than bombarding you with syntax, you’ll focus on general SQL concepts. With that, you’ll find ample examples and clear explanations.

➡️ The Language of SQL is one of the best SQL books for beginners.

You’ll learn about SQL keywords step-by-step, not all at once like some other books.

Throughout the course of the book, you’ll learn about:

✅ retrieving data from relational databases

✅ applying functions and calculations to data

✅ updating data and creating new tables

✅ using spreadsheets to display your data

And much, much more.

The Language of SQL covers syntax of SQL Server, MySQL, and Oracle databases.

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8. Head First SQL: Your Brain on SQL

↘️ Ideal for: SQL newbies
↘️ Topics covered: SQL fundamentals

Head First SQL is one of the best SQL books for beginners.

But how is it different from The Language of SQL or SQL QuickStart Guide?

Good question. Head First books are… well they’re awesome. Instead of walls of text, they use neurobiology, cognitive science and learning theory to teach you new concepts.

Simply put, they use tons (and I mean tons) of visuals and notes to make the material stick better.

➡️ By the end of Head First SQL, you should be able to query, normalize, and join your data.

First you’ll learn the fundamentals of SQL. You’ll cover a variety of newbie basics such as:

✅ INSERT statements

✅ SELECT queries

✅ indices

✅ joins

✅ transactions

And more.

Note: Head First SQL is a bit older than other SQL books on our list. But don’t let that deter you. There’s still plenty of evergreen material you’ll find in this SQL book for beginners.

See what SQL developers are saying about Head First SQL:

… Head First SQL is insanely great!

– Russell Bateman, SQL developer

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9. SQL Queries for Mere Mortals: A Hands-On Guide to Data Manipulation in SQL

↘️ Ideal for: experienced SQL developers, database administrators
↘️ Topics covered: SQL queries

By working with real-world problems, SQL Queries for Mere Mortals gives you hands-on experience so you can create reliable queries for most SQL databases.

➡️ SQL Queries is one of the best SQL books for experienced developers who want to dive deep into queries.

After a brief review of SQL basics and relational databases, you’ll learn how to:

✅ apply multiple conditions to one table

✅ perform logical evaluations

✅ use unlinked tables

✅ partition data into windows

And more.

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10. The Applied SQL Data Analytics Workshop

Note: This book is the updated version of SQL for Data Analytics.

↘️ Ideal for: data analytics beginners, experienced SQL developers, database engineers
↘️ Topics covered: data analytics, advanced analytics, analytics technologies

Unlike other books on our list, The Applied SQL Data Analytics Workshop shows you how to use SQL to create business insights.

➡️ The Applied SQL Data Analytics Workshop is one of the best SQL books for beginners learning data analytics.

You’ll start by learning what data analytics is and why it’s important. From there, you’ll move onto:

✅ using basic and advanced queries

✅ interpreting data through aggregate functions

✅ using SQL queries to export data

✅ automating tasks to speed up your data analysis workflow

And much more.

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11. SQL Pocket Guide: A Guide to SQL Usage

↘️ Ideal for: experienced SQL developers, data analysts, data scientists, data engineers
↘️ Topics covered: data types, conversions, window functions

This lil’ nasty SQL Pocket Guide published by the ever-awesome O’Reilly is a quick reference for experienced SQL developers.

➡️ This handy little reference enables developers to easily look up how to perform specific SQL tasks.

You’ll also learn how to update SQL queries to work in SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL and SQLite. Then you’ll discover how to connect Python and R to relational databases.

Another handy feature is that you can look up frequently asked SQL questions.

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12. Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 10 Minutes a Day

↘️ Ideal for: SQL newbies
↘️ Topics covered: SQL fundamentals

SQL in 10 Minutes teaches you SQL concepts systematically and simply.

➡️ SQL in 10 Minutes is one of the best SQL books for beginners short on time.

The book is divided into short chapters. Each will teach you a new SQL concept in about 10 minutes.

You’ll start with the absolute basics like data retrieval. Then you’ll graduate to more complex concepts such as:

✅ joins

✅ subqueries

✅ stored procedures

✅ table constraints

And beyond.

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13. SQL Practice Problems: 57 Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Challenges

↘️ Ideal for: beginner, intermediate and advanced SQL developers
↘️ Topics covered: practice problems

SQL Practice Problems offers 57 challenges for beginner, intermediate and advanced SQL developers.

➡️ SQL Practice Problems is one of the best SQL books for hands-on learners.

You’ll find some of the most commonly found problems in SQL.

Using real-world data, you’ll immerse yourself in practice while learning how to think in SQL. You’ll also learn programming best practices and other tips.

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14. Learn SQL Quickly: A Beginner’s Guide to Learning SQL

↘️ Ideal for: SQL newbies
↘️ Topics covered: SQL fundamentals

Learn SQL Quickly teaches absolute beginners how to effectively and efficiently navigate SQL.

➡️ Learn SQL Quickly is one of the best SQL books for programmers on a budget.

In this beginner’s guide, you’ll learn everything you need to start using SQL. You’ll learn exactly what SQL is an how to use it while also learning the most effective way to set up your database management system.

You’ll also learn how to:

✅ control the movement of your data

✅ integrate real-world examples

✅ work with MySQL

And more.

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15. Learn SQL (using MySQL) in One Day and Learn It Well

↘️ Ideal for: impatient developers
↘️ Topics covered: data types, functions, procedures

Learn SQL Using MySQL walks you through SQL concepts to get you up and running ASAP.

➡️ Learn SQL Using MySQL claims you can learn SQL in one day. But is it true?

Sort of.

Are you going to be a master? No. But you will learn how to start applying SQL concepts immediately.

After trying out a series of SQL commands, you’ll start working on an actual guided project.

Some more of what you’ll learn includes:

✅ common data types

✅ aggregate functions

✅ stored procedures and functions

✅ flow control

And beyond.

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Best SQL Books: Conclusion

Today we looked at the best SQL books including:

🔥 Best Overall 🔥
Learning SQL: Generate, Manipulate, and Retrieve Data

💥 Best for Newbies 💥
SQL QuickStart Guide

💸 Best Value 💸
SQL Guide (Quick Study: SQL)

So whether you need to learn SQL from the ground up or just need a quick reference guide, we think these are the best SQL books out there.

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SQL developers are also reading:

• 11 Best SQL Courses This Year (newbie, intermediate & advanced)
• DataCamp: Introduction to SQL Course [DataCamp SQL Review]
• 10 Best Codecademy Alternatives This Year [Alternatives to Codecademy Review]
• 12 Best Data Science Books for Beginners [Learn Data Science ASAP]
• Top 11 Python Books for Data Science [Learn Data Science using Python]

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