If you’re in charge of database administration, developing database software, or looking for database solutions for your company, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies can help you get a handle on this extremely popular relational database management system. Here you’ll find what’s new in the latest version; how to choose and install the right variation for your needs; how to monitor, maintain, and protect your data; and what it takes to keep your database healthy. You’ll discover how to: Build and maintain tables Design a database and communicate with it Retrieve, analyze, and report data Build solid, robust database applications Use the SQL Server Optimizer and Query Designer Navigate SQL Server with Visual Studio Develop useful reports with the Report Builder and Report Designer Create Business Intelligence solutions with Business Intelligence Development Studio Configure your server and perform major administrative tasks To help you quickly find what you need, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies is divided into nine minibooks: Essential Concepts Designing and Using Databases Interacting With Your Data Database Programming Reporting Services Analysis Services Performance Tips and Tricks Database Administration Appendixes Microsoft SQL Server 2008 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies gets you started, helps you solve problems, and will even answer your questions down the road!

Visual Studio 2008 is packed with features that help you create better software and do it with less repetition and drudgery. Visual Studio 2008 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies shows you how to make the most of this cool suite of tools! It’s all here! This comprehensive, seven-books-in-one guide gets you up and running with Visual Studio 2008 in no time. You’ll discover Microsoft’s vision for Visual Studio, get familiar with the .Net environment and languages, and learn how to install, browse, and make connections with Visual Studio. Soon, you’ll be building applications for Vista, Office 2007, and mobile devices; using AJAX and LINQ; and testing and debugging your programs. Discover how to: Understand Visual Studio’s role in software development Work with .Net languages Develop applications for Vista Build smart client interfaces Use the visual data designer Use Ajax controls Streamline application deployment Debug your applications Explore ASP. NET services Work with strongly typed data sets Access data with Visual Studio Program with Visual Studio 2008 Build professional reports with Crystal Reports Fully updated with new information on Vista and .NET Framework 3.0 development, MS Office application development, and more, Visual Studio 2008 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies also features a companion Web site packed with sample projects, supplemental podcasts, and a support forum. You’ll never find a smarter way to get up to speed with Visual Studio 2008!

If you're curious, but hesitant, about finding your way around Microsoft's new Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 For Dummies is the book for you. This friendly reference shows you everything you need to know — from installation and deployment to building and running a Windows Server 2008 network. Server-based networking really is a big deal, and this 100% plain-English guide helps you make the most of it. You'll find out about Windows Server 2008's important functions, capabilities and requirements; develop a network implementation plan; take a step-by-step walkthrough of the installation process; and get valuable tips on how to boost your bandwidth beyond belief! Before you know it, you'll be configuring connections to the Universe, working with active directory, and treating domains and controllers like old pals. Discover how to: Build and connect your network Install and configure Windows Server 2008 Set up and manage directory services Manage users and groups Install and manage print servers Secure your network Troubleshoot active networks Plan for installing Active Directory Proclaim and manage your own domain Resolve names between TCP/IP and NetBIOS Manage shares, permissions, and more Develop and implement a regular backup protocol Windows Server 2008 For Dummies may be easy-going, but it's simply packed with need-to-know stuff that will send you diving into Windows Server 2008 experience just for the fun of it. So start now!

From liquids and solids to acids and bases - work chemistry equations and use formulas with ease Got a grasp on the chemistry terms and concepts you need to know, but get lost halfway through a problem or, worse yet, not know where to begin? Have no fear - this hands-on guide helps you solve many types of chemistry problems in a focused, step-by-step manner. With problem-solving shortcuts and lots of practice exercises, you'll build your chemistry skills and improve your performance both in and out of the science lab. You'll see how to work with numbers, atoms, and elements; make and remake compounds; understand changes in terms of energy; make sense of organic chemistry; and more! 100s of Problems! Know where to begin and how to solve the most common chemistry problems Step-by-step answer sets clearly identify where you went wrong (or right) with a problem Understand the key exceptions to chemistry rules Use chemistry in practical applications with confidence

Learn to: Select the right classical guitar for you Develop correct hand position and posture Tune your guitar Play along with exercises and pieces on the audio CD The fun and easy way® to start playing classical guitar! Want to be a classical guitarist, but never had a lesson? No problem — this hands-on guide teaches you all the fundamental techniques you need to play scales, melodies, and full-length pieces in the classical style. You get plenty of practice exercises to stretch your skills, selections from the classical repertoire, and a bonus audio CD that helps you play along with the music pieces from the book! Get acquainted with your guitar — familiarize yourself with the unique make-up and parts of a classical guitar Start making some music — play melodies on individual strings, move on to arpeggios, and get your fingers in shape with scales Ramp up your technique — play barres, slurs, and trills; handle harmonics; master right-hand tremolo; and venture up the neck to play in the higher positions Build your classical repertoire — from Renaissance and Baroque to Classical, Romantic, and Modern, play pieces from the major eras in classical music Practice makes perfect — improve your performance with expert guidance through each exercise and piece in the book Open the book and find: Tips and techniques for playing beautiful pieces How to read music notation and tablature Basic finger and thumb strokes Right- and left-hand techniques Musical examples, charts, and photos Music pieces from the guitar greats The best ways to care for your guitar A step-by-step tutorial on changing your strings Bonus CD Includes More than 140 recorded performances of the exercises and pieces featured in the book Pieces performed using a count-off, allowing you to play along in time with the music Tuning notes to help you tune up your guitar

An easy-to-understand how-to guide to the single most important thing you can do in investing — choosing and mixing your assets successfully. You don’t need to be an expert analyst, a star stock-picker, or a rocket scientist to have better investment results than most other investors. You just need to allocate your assets in the right way, and have the conviction to stick with that allocation. The big secret behind asset allocation — the secret that most sophisticated investors know and use to their benefit — is that it’s really not all that hard to do. Asset Allocation For Dummies serves as a comprehensive guide to maximizing returns and minimizing risk — while managing taxes, fees and other costs — in putting together a portfolio to reflect your unique financial goals. Jerry A. Miccolis (Basking Ridge, NJ), CFA®, CFP®, FCAS, MAAA is a widely quoted expert commentator who has been interviewed in The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and appeared on CBS Radio and ABC-TV. He is a senior financial advisor and co-owner of Brinton Eaton Wealth Advisors (www.brintoneaton.com), a fee-only investment management, tax advisory and financial planning firm in Madison, N.J. Dorianne R. Perrucci (Scotch Plains, NJ) is a freelance writer who has been published in The New York Times, Newsweek, and TheStreet.com, and has collaborated on several financial books, including I.O.U.S.A, One Nation, Under Stress, In Debt (Wiley, 2008).

The most complete reference to reading the cards and divining their wisdom! For centuries, people have used the tarot to help them gain access to spiritual knowledge and explore universal truths. You don’t have to be spiritually inclined to get something out of the tarot. Even the most hard-boiled materialist, with the assistance of The Knight, The Fool, the Lovers, the Hanged Man, and all the rest of the major and minor arcana, can achieve deep insights into their own true natures and the natures of others in their lives. Used properly, the tarot can reveal to us our deepest longings, help us to confront our fears, and allow us to recognize unspoken emotional and psychological obstacles to happiness. Come along on a fascinating journey as world-renowned spiritual teacher Amber Jayanti reveals the mysteries of the tarot and shows you how to tap into its uncanny power as a tool for personal exploration and growth. Discover how to use the tarot to: Reveal new options Get a new perspective on and re-envision your life Find hope, support, and encou ragement Increase mental and emotional clarity Reaffirm what you already know Connect more deeply with your intuition Explore universal truths Answer some of life’s biggest questions Tarot For Dummies explains how the tarot works, what it can and can’t do for you, and how to get the most out of it. And it guides you step-by-step through: Shopping for the right deck for you Handling the cards and interpreting spreads Preparing for a reading Finding spreads that are relevant to loved ones, friends, history, and special events Distinguishing the elements of a great reading Linking the tarot with astrology, numerology, the Qabalah and other sources of wisdom Do you long to see your life from a different perspective – to “see the big picture?” Let expert Amber Jayanti show you how to interpret the tarot and re-envision your life through this ancient, mystical system of pictures.

An easy-to-understand reference for navigating through geographic information systems (GIS) GIS (geographic information system) is a totally cool technology that has been called "geography on steroids." GIS is what lets you see the schools in your neighborhood or tells you where the nearest McDonald's is. GIS For Dummies tells you all about mapping terminology and digital mapping, how to locate geographic features and analyze patterns such as streets and waterways, and how to generate travel directions, customer location lists, and much more with GIS. Whether you're in charge of creating GIS applications for your business or you simply love maps, you'll find GIS For Dummies is packed with information. For example, you can: Learn all the hardware and software necessary to collect, analyze, and manipulate GIS data Explore the difference between 2D and 3D maps, create a map, or manage multiple maps Analyze patterns that appear in maps and interpret the results Measure distance in absolute, comparative, and functional ways Recognize how spatial factors relate to geographic data Discover how GIS is used in business, the military, city planning, emergency services, land management, and more Find out how GIS can help you find discover where flooding may occur Determine what your organization needs, do appropriate analyses, and plan and design a GIS system You'll find dozens of applications for GIS queries and analyses, and even learn to create animated GIS output. Additionally, you can learn about sources of GIS data and GIS software vendors (and even what questions to ask potential vendors). Whether your goal is to implement a geographic information system or just have fun, GIS For Dummies will get you there!

Save time and cut through the red tape! Saving veterans and their families from months of phone calls and internet searches, Veterans Benefits For Dummies outlines the various programs that the VA and other government agencies have in place as well as the procedures for filing applications, claims, and appeals for these benefits which include: Health care Ongoing care for wounded and disabled vets Education assistance Vocational rehabilitation Life insurance Home loan guarantees Pensions Survivors' benefits Burial benefits

Buying or selling a business? Acquire the tools and learn the methods for accurate business valuation Business valuation is the process of determining the value of a business enterprise or ownership interest. Business Valuation For Dummies covers valuation methods, including advice on analyzing historical performance, evaluating assets and income value, understanding a company's financial statements, forecasting performance; estimating the cost of capital; and cash flow methods of valuation. Written in plain English, this no-nonsense guide is filled with expert guidance that business owners, managers at all levels, investors, and students can use when determining the value of a business. It contains a solid framework for valuation, including advice on analyzing historical performance, evaluating assets and income value, understanding a company's financial statements, estimating the cost of capital, business valuation models, and how to apply those models to different types of businesses. Business Valuation For Dummies takes you step-by-step through the business valuation process, explaining the major methods in an easy-to-understand manner with real-world examples. Inside you’ll discover: The value of business valuation, including when it’s necessary The fundamental methods and approaches to business valuation How to read a valuation report and financial statements The other players in the valuation process How to decide you’re ready to sell — and the best time to do so The three stages of due diligence: the meet and greet; the hunting and gathering; the once-over How to decide you’re ready to buy — and find the right business for you What due diligence means on the buying side of things When to call in the experts: divorce; estate planning and gifting; attracting investors and lenders This is an essential guide for anyone buying a business, selling a business, participating in a merger or acquisition, or evaluating for tax, loan, or credit purposes. Get your copy of Business Valuation For Dummies to get the information you need to successfully and accurately place a value on any business.