Preface

If we use oil extraction as a metaphor for understanding data in the contemporary world, then databases flat-out constitute—or are deeply intertwined with—all aspects of the extraction chain, from the fields to the refineries, drills, and pumps. If you want to harness the potential of data—which has perhaps become as vital to our way of life as oil—then you need to understand databases because they are quite simply the most important piece of modern data equipment.

Databases are tools, a means to an end. But like any complex tool, databases also harbor their own stories and embody their own ways of looking at the world. The better you understand databases, the more capable you’ll be of tapping into the ever-growing corpus of data at our disposal. That enhanced understanding could lead to anything from undertaking fun side projects to embarking on a career change or starting your own data-driven company.