This book has been written to provide an excellent grounding for those who wish to learn ANSI SQL using MySQL 5. This book has several illustrative examples which have logical links between them. Each set of examples help in building skills that will take the reader to the next set of examples, which in turn lead upwards until a strong programming foundation using the natural language of MySQL has been established. Learning of SQL is done through the construction of a Sales Management System. The skills thus developed are strongly firmed up via hands-on exercises based on the construction of a Human Resource Management System.