Rating:  - Chapter highlights
The entire book is fantastic, but the specific chapters that have helped me in daily work with SQL Server are:
Chapter 5: starting at "Understanding Indexes", p 149 thru the end of the chapter.
also, chapter 28, "A Balanced Index Strategy" (p768-777)
Chapter 7: the WHOLE chapter!
Chapter 11: "Transactional Integrity" (p337-349)
Chapter 18: the WHOLE chapter
Chapter 26: "Recovery Models" (p688-693)
Rating: - Impressive Detail
I am extremely impressed with "SQL Server Bible". I am a big fan of the Bible Series. They make excellent reference books. I am currently working toward the MCDBA and have been using a test-prep vendors materials to study. They provide good information, but much of it is not well explained. This book has given me a fresh, in-depth look into SQL Server. I am only about 3/4 of the way through it, but have found the answers to many of the questions I had. I have been maintaining 5 SQL Servers for several years and learned most of it "on the fly." I only wish I had purchased this book sooner. It contains many of the little shortcuts that could have saved me considerable misery. SQL Server Bible has helped me to understand the concepts and methods quite thoroughly.
Rating: - Developer Depth
SQL Server 2000 Bible is a great book for a developer. I've been a SQL Server developer since 6.5 and, while I can't speak to the admin side this, this is the book that has the level of depth and detail to keep me interested - over 10,000 lines of code, not filled with foolish filler screen shots, and great developer ideas that other books don't even touch.
There's another review that says this book doesn't have enough depth, and in another review, the same reviewer praises The Guru's Guide to T-SQL for it's depth. But, the sample code listed in the Guru's Guide review IS IN SQL Server 2000 Bible on p.384. The Guru's Guide is a good book, but SQL Server 2000 Bible has T-SQL development details and ideas not mentioned in any other SQL book that I've found. The book has 60+ pages on joins and subqueries with techniques and ideas I've never heard of. The advenced T-SQL chapter alone is worth the price of the book. If you're a SQL Server developer, you need this book.
Rating:  - Casual writing style distracts me from getting the point
Comparing with the other SQL Server 2000 books, this book does a poor job explaining the details of the database software and I found the writer's casual writing style very distracting from the point. If you are serious in learning this technology, I'd suggest Professional SQL Server 2000 Programming or Inside SQL Server 2000.
Rating:  - Useful book
I like this book and use it often. For the basic product, it is as good as Inside SQL Server.
One area in which it could be better is depth. It makes the mistake of trying to cover too many topics. Many of them are simply glossed over. If you need good T-SQL advice, DTS info or replication recommendations, get another book or books in addition to this one.
By and large though this is a book that you will find useful if you manage SQL Servers on a regular basis.
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