Mastering Data Modeling: A User-Driven Approach

Story Interlude

As data modelers and as teachers of data modelers, we have real, in-context stories to tell about mistakes, successes, interesting things that happened, what novice modelers did, and so on. We tell stories to enrich what we say in university classes, in industrial training, while consulting, and while talking with fellow teachers. Inspired by Gary Klein, we decided to write down some stories for you to read and ponder as you acquire the skills and culture of data modeling.¹ As you gain experience, you should craft and tell your own stories.

¹ G. Klein, Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1999.

The stories appear in “interludes,” here and after Chapters 12, 17, 21, and 26. Each interlude contains ...