Most books about SQL Server take one of the two approaches. The first approach is to provide a broad introduction to SQL Server administration. While overviews are great for beginners, they don't provide enough information, leaving the reader wanting for details and practical advice.
The second approach is to attempt to cover every possible topic the author can think of. While this may seem like a good approach, what generally ends up happening is that each topic doesn't get the attention it really deserves. And, in order to keep the length of the book reasonable (under 1,000 pages), a lot of practical details are left out, again, leaving the reader wanting for more.
As both a reader and author of many SQL Server books, I have discovered that the more focused the book's topic is, the more useful it becomes. This is why I like Satya SK Jayanty's new book, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Administration Cookbook. It offers over 70 practical recipes for managing and administering a high-performance SQL Server 2008 R2 system. So, instead of trying to cover every possible topic, the book, in effect, is a collection of more than 70 extremely focused books, each providing very specific and practical information on how to make the reader a better and more effective DBA.
Another thing I like about this book is that it is literally a recipe book. It walks with the reader, step-by-step, through each topic, leading the reader through the most difficult of topics. After reading each recipe, the reader will not only understand the importance of the topic, but will also be able to implement it themselves. Nothing is left to chance.
Of course, the book could not include practical information unless the author himself has been in the trenches and gotten his hands dirty. You are in good hands, as Satya is an accomplished SQL Server DBA with over 15 years of real world experience. While Satya has spent much of his career working for large organizations, what really separates him from many other authors is that he also spends a great amount of his personal time helping other DBAs.