Whether you are a fairly new DBA, or even a fairly experienced DBA, it is important that you have a good understanding of database design. One of the bigger reasons people complain about database speed is because of bad database design. Good database design is hard to come by because most people think it is easy and don't think of it as a hard or difficult subject, which it really is.
Many developers create database designs with little thought as to performance.
Because of this, their database designs are inefficient and slow. Of all the many database books on the market, this is probably the best for beginners. Although it is not specific to SQL Server 7, it doesn't have to be. Good database design applies to all database programs, not just SQL Server 7. If you haven't taken the time to really learn what good database design is all about, then you need to get this book, read it, master it, and then apply what you have learned to help assist you in your database performance tuning efforts.