First of all the help file for MS SQL Server has an appropriate chapters on the syntax of SQL. I'm on your side that a book on SQL will teach you more than that, eg more on database theory in general - table design and normalisation, administration, security, backup and restore etc., which are beyond the scope of SQL. But as all these things are rather database specific I recomend you look for a good MS SQL Server book.
I was never disappointed from following the bestseller sort order of amazon listings on any topic. If you agree this is a valid point then consider:
-Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Internals (Pro - Developer)
or narrower on your topic SQL:
-Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 T-SQL Fundamentals (PRO-Developer)
regarding management and administration:
-Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Management and Administration
Bye, Olaf.