Database Design for Mere Mortals
Database Design for Mere Mortals by Michael J. Hernandezby Michael J. Hernandez
Shares rank 38 of 115 programming books by recommenders
People recommend it as a clear, practical introduction to relational database design and SQL, and say it is worth a semester of computer science classes on the topic.
People recommend it as a clear, practical introduction to relational database design and SQL, and say it is worth a semester of computer science classes on the topic.
5 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 5
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 5 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Clear practical introduction to database design
“worth an entire semester of computer science classes on the topic”
Comment from 20 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What is the most career altering course or book you have gone through?” “I learned SQL & Relational DB design with the book”
Comment from 4 Jun 2026 in “Learn SQL Once, Use It for 30 Years”
Other programming books people recommend
The four most recommended other programming books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crafting Interpretersby Robert Nystrom | 60 | 4 | 94% | 10 | — | Approved |
| Clean Codeby Robert C. Martin | 31 | 87 | 26% | 9 | — | — |
| The Pragmatic Programmerby Hunt and Thomas | 28 | 1 | 97% | 7 | — | Approved |
| How to Design Programsby Felleisen, Findler, Flatt and Krishnamurthi | 18 | 2 | 90% | 7 | — | Approved |
| Database Design for Mere Mortalsby Michael J. HernandezThis page | 5 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
All 5 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“worth an entire semester of computer science classes on the topic”
“Can’t say enough good things about Database Design for Mere Mortals.”
“over the years I have bought more that a few copies and I always end up giving them away to those in need”
“I had the pleasure to read "Database Design for Mere Mortals" there, in the hours when work was slow.”
“I learned SQL & Relational DB design with the book”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.