Top Database books recommended by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we've connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favourite Database books – and here are the answers.

Table of Contents

Fundamentals of Database

Understanding the concepts of Database starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

NoSQL Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Emerging World of Polyglot Persistence

The need to handle increasingly larger data volumes is one factor driving the adoption of a new class of nonrelational "NoSQL" databases. Advocates of NoSQL databases claim they can be used to build systems that are more performant, scale better, and are easier to program. ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Database Systems: The Complete Book

For Database Systems and Database Design and Application courses offered at the junior, senior and graduate levels in Computer Science departments. ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Build a Large Language Model (From Scratch)

In Build a Large Language Model (from Scratch) bestselling author Sebastian Raschka guides you step by step through creating your own LLM. Each stage is explained with clear text, diagrams, and examples. You’ll go from the initial design and creation, to pretraining on a general corpus, and on to fine-tuning for specific tasks.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Designing Data-Intensive Applications: The Big Ideas Behind Reliable, Scalable, and Maintainable Systems

Data is at the center of many challenges in system design today. Difficult issues need to be figured out, such as scalability, consistency, reliability, efficiency, and maintainability. ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

The Data Warehouse Toolkit: The Definitive Guide to Dimensional Modeling

The first edition of Ralph Kimball's The Data Warehouse Toolkit introduced the industry to dimensional modeling,and now his books are considered the most authoritative guides in this space. This new third edition is a complete library of updated dimensional modeling techniques, the most comprehensive collection ever. It covers new and enhanced star schema dimensional modeling patterns, adds tw…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Readings in Database Systems

In this collection of articles, the breadth of database research and applications is represented. Many of the forty articles are sourced from out-of-print or limited circulation journals, and technical ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Additional Database Reading

These books are not required for you to learn Database, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet

The internet of today is a far cry from its early promise of a decentralized, democratic network of innovation, connection, and freedom. In the past decade, it has fallen almost entirely under the control of a very small group of companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook. In Read Write Own, tech visionary Chris Dixon argues that the dream of an open network for fostering creativity and entrep…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

MongoDB: The Definitive Guide

How does MongoDB help you manage a huMONGOus amount of data collected through your web application? With this authoritative introduction, you'll learn the many advantages of using document-oriented ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Practical Issues in Database Management: A Reference for the Thinking Practitioner

Databas(e)ics clearly explains the key concepts users and database professionals need to understand in order to build well-designed databases that answer business questions accurately and efficiently. ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

SQL Antipatterns: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Database Programming

Bill Karwin has helped thousands of people write better SQL and build stronger relational databases. ...

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

This list is curated by MentorCruise and can include Amazon affiliate links. Have any other suggestions? Add here.

Augment your Database books

There is no better source of accountability and motivation than having a personal mentor. What used to be impossible to find is now just two clicks away! All mentors are vetted & hands-on!


Hey there! I'm Igor, a lead software engineer with over nine years of software development expertise (mostly Rust, C and C++) and four years specializing in blockchain and zero-knowledge proof (ZK) technologies. I hold a Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo and have dedicated my career to …

$110 / month

Only 3 Spot Left

Supercharge your transition into data engineering with Gaurav, a passionate Senior Data Engineer at Amazon. With 10 years of experience, Gaurav excels in designing data platforms, implementing architectures like Data lake, Lakehouse, and Data mesh. Expertise in building cloud-based platforms, data pipelines, and ensuring governance and security. Benefit from Gaurav's …

$290 / month

Only 1 Spot Left

I am a Senior Software Engineer at Booking.com, the largest travel company in the world. Before joining here, I was working as a Senior Software Engineer at Grab, the leading delivery, mobility, financial, and enterprise services company in Southeast Asia. In my career so far, I have always been working …

$160 / month

Only 2 Spot Left

Hello! I'm Rohit Garg, a seasoned engineering leader with over 12 years of experience in leading high-performing engineering teams, strategic planning, big data science & engineering, and AI/ML integration. Currently, I spearhead the data engineering efforts for AI Training Infrastructure & PyTorch at Meta, where I drive technical vision and …

$120 / month

Only 1 Spot Left

Need help with data science and machine learning skills? I can guide you to the next level. Together, we'll create a personalized plan based on your unique goals and needs. Whether you want to build a strong portfolio of projects, improve your programming skills, or advance your career to the …

$390 / month

Only 1 Spot Left

I have been in the software industry for almost 20 years and have worked in a variety of domains, including gaming, e-commerce, healthcare, finance, and insurance, to name a few. Currently, I am a Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft Canada. I’d be happy to offer mentorship on a wide range …

$160 / month

Browse all Database mentors

Still not convinced? Don't just take our word for it

We've already delivered 1-on-1 mentorship to thousands of students, professionals, managers and executives. Even better, they've left an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for our mentors.

Find a Database mentor
  • "Naz is an amazing person and a wonderful mentor. She is supportive and knowledgeable with extensive practical experience. Having been a manager at Netflix, she also knows a ton about working with teams at scale. Highly recommended."

  • "Brandon has been supporting me with a software engineering job hunt and has provided amazing value with his industry knowledge, tips unique to my situation and support as I prepared for my interviews and applications."

  • "Sandrina helped me improve as an engineer. Looking back, I took a huge step, beyond my expectations."