Practical SQL is an approachable and fast-paced guide to SQL (Structured Query Language), the standard programming language for defining, organizing, and exploring data in relational databases. The book focuses on using SQL to find the story your data tells, with the popular open-source database PostgreSQL and the pgAdmin interface as its primary tools. 

You’ll first cover the fundamentals of databases and the SQL language, then build skills by analyzing data from the U.S. Census and other federal and state government agencies. With exercises and real-world examples in each chapter, this book will teach even those who have never programmed before all the tools necessary to build powerful databases and access information quickly and efficiently.

实用SQL是SQL（结构化查询语言，Structured Query Language，结构化查询语言）的一个可接近且快节奏的指南，SQL是定义、组织和探索关系数据库中数据的标准编程语言。本书重点介绍如何使用SQL查找数据所讲述的故事，主要工具是流行的开源数据库PostgreSQL和pgAdmin接口。
您将首先学习数据库和SQL语言的基础知识，然后通过分析来自美国人口普查局和其他联邦及州政府机构的数据来培养技能。通过每章中的练习和现实世界的例子，本书将教给那些以前从未编程过的人建立强大数据库和快速高效地访问信息所需的所有工具。