Writing a book such as this is always a cooperative effort. There are always editors, colleagues, friends, and relatives willing to lend their support and provide valuable advice when I need it the most. These people continually provide me with encouragement, help me to remain focused, and motivate me to see this project through to the end.
First and foremost, I want to thank my acquisitions editor, Trina MacDonald, for helping me get signed up to produce this fourth edition. Thanks also to Developmental Editor, Rick Kughen, for shepherding me along the way. And I can’t forget the production staff—they’re a great team! Next, I’d like to acknowledge my technical editor, Doug Steele. I also had help from one of my database friends, Ben Clothier. Thanks once again to all of you for your time and input and for helping me to make this a solid treatise on SQL queries.
Finally, another very special thanks to Keith Hare for providing the Foreword. As the Convenor of the International SQL Standards Committee, Keith is an SQL expert par excellence. I have a lot of respect for Keith’s knowledge and expertise on the subject, and I’m pleased to have his thoughts and comments at the beginning of my book.