1. A computer-implemented method for managing a database comprising: receiving a data set to be stored in a database; organizing and storing the data set into data blocks within a data structure; obtaining a pointer to each data block; for at least one data block, obtaining a set of values that summarizes a property of the data values stored in the data block; associating the set of values with the data block's pointer; and storing the set of values in a pointer block with the data block's pointer in the same pointer block as the set of values.