"Analyzing information and acting accordingly is a key strategic goal of every business. But vast quantities of data are of little use if they are not structured and kept in such a way as to be readily accessible and applicable. Only optimally organized information can drive maximum productivity.
Blissful Data is a reader-friendly book that reveals what it takes to achieve a state of perfect organization within the environment of a successful data warehouse. This timely book will help the reader:
• understand how data evolves into information that drives better decision making
• recognize the pitfalls, caused by people and politics, that lead to short-sighted solutions and long-term problems
• manage data warehousing costs, performance, and expectations effectively
• apply project management fundamentals to data warehouse endeavors
Blissful Data includes dozens of examples, as well as case studies illustrating successful, unsuccessful, and disastrous data warehouse strategies."
"1. What the Heck is a Data Warehouse -- Why Should You Care?
2. Data Warehouses, Data Marts -- What’s in a Name?
3. Myths & Misconceptions -- What Should You Eradicate?
4. What is Dirty Data -- How the Heck Does it Get There?
5. Who Owns it Anyway?
6. Politics -- Who’s Gonna Pay?
7. Project Management -- Is it the Silver Bullet?
8. Data Modeling -- Why Do You Care?
9 Case Studies -- Is There a Light at the End of the Tunnel?"
Anonymous
Posted Thu Feb 05 00:00:00 EST 2004
I really enjoyed reading Blissful Data on one of my recent business trip. The first thing that struck me was the distinctive coaching style of the author. By not coming across as teaching, preaching, or mothering, I found it easy to ¿listen¿ and take the author¿s friendly advice to heart. As I got into the book, I discovered the author¿s wit and talent in illustrating difficult technology concepts using everyday life examples. By the time I finished the book, it became clear that the book has comprehensively covered technology, human factors, project disciplines, and everything else necessary for successful implementations of enterprise data warehouses. It is an easy read, flows well, and expertly organized. I was able to finish it in a couple of hours to get all the salient points, and I know where to go back and easily find the details if I needed to.
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Posted Fri Feb 13 00:00:00 EST 2004
If you've ever tackled a project where you set out to track woozles and ended up fleeing from heffalumps, this is just the book to save you from future tramplings. Blissful Data is not merely about data warehouses, though you'll find that subject thoroughly rendered. Margaret Chu analyses all the factors that make or break a project of any kind, with a particular focus on data warehouse implementation. You'll come away from this book with a substantial introduction to modern Project Management principles. As Ms Chu points out, the issues inherent in creating data warehouses are largely human issues, and she shows how best to view and handle those issues, in addition to the technical ones. Was I beginning to sound pedantic? Fortunately Blissful Data smooths the path through dense underbrush with lots of personal examples and whimsical analogies. For example, we precede the discussion of corporate culture with one of Village People culture--complete with illustration of said singers, in case you'd forgotten what they looked like. And yes, my opening line concerning woozles and heffalumps was inspired by Ms Chu's other references to A. A. Milne's fabled stories. I was repeatedly struck with amusement and even a few guffaws, and was thereby refreshed to undertake the analyses and explanations. There is enough serious medicine in Blissful Data to keep me coming back for repeated doses, but a spoonful of sugar eases the swallowing. This is definitely not a book reserved for tech geeks or business managers or execs. It speaks to everyone who has ever tried to improve the way they do their job. With a career spanning 20 years of Information Technology projects, I consider myself well versed in all aspects of system implementation. Yet as Zen teacher Sunryu Suzuki noted, 'Everything is perfect, but there is a lot of room for improvement.' Blissful Data is the sort of book that will provide lasting benefits in improving on my perfection. I highly recommend it to anyone who ever works with people or performs a job.
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Posted Thu Feb 05 00:00:00 EST 2004
Margaret Chu knows the pitfalls of database development from hard-won personal experience as an IT project manager. Take a few pages from her war stories and maybe you won't be the one against the wall!
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Posted Fri Feb 06 00:00:00 EST 2004
As a recent college graduate just entering the workplace, this book is an excellent primer on the core issues of politics, people, and cultures that occur in every organization. I feel so much more prepared to face the ¿real world.¿
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Posted Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2004
Margaret Chu leads us into and through the world of Data Warehousing with a writing style unique to 'IT primers.' This book was fun to read. Blissful Data informs and entertains. The examples and the book's illustrations facilitate the readers' education in all aspects of projects involving large amounts of data. For me, it's indeed rare for such a valuable learning experience to be so enjoyable!
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Posted Fri Feb 13 00:00:00 EST 2004
Margaret Chu brings a unique blend of technical insight and practical organizational acumen to this beguiling field. I¿ve been associated with data as a corporate resource since early testing of IBM¿s GIS in the 60¿s decade, early use of Software AG¿s ADABASE in the 70¿s, and beneficial application of early PC-based relational databases of the 80¿s. Those expecting a treatise on the mechanics of data warehousing to gain a marginal advantage might be disappointed. They should put aside their geek-bias; this readable book can give them a quantum leap advantage to build a data warehouse that actually delivers what the sponsors expect. The two chapters on ¿Politics: ¿Who Owns It Anyway? and ¿Who's Going to Pay¿ are the heart of this practical book.
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Posted Tue Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2004
Blissful Data is presented in an informative and entertaining tone that prevails throughout the book. The author uses wit and anecdotes everyone can relate to in order to educate the reader about data warehousing.
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Posted Wed Feb 18 00:00:00 EST 2004
This book was very good in that it lays out many of the learnings to be successful in achieving a solid data centric information environment. Told in quick, relevent passages with easy to grasp points, Margaret brings her experience to others. I especially liked the easy to see 'remember points' throughout the chapters and the summarization of each chapter.
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Overview
"Analyzing information and acting accordingly is a key strategic goal of every business. But vast quantities of data are of little use if they are not structured and kept in such a way as to be readily accessible and applicable. Only optimally organized information can drive maximum productivity.
Blissful Data is a reader-friendly book that reveals what it takes to achieve a state of perfect organization within the environment of a successful data warehouse. This timely book will help the reader:
? understand how...