Taming the Big Data Tidal Wave by Bill Franks

I didn’t dogear a single page or scribble a single marginal note while reading this 304-page business book.

I don’t blame it. From my distant perspective, it seems like a good overview of its subject, even though some of its content undoubtedly aging as the years keep passing by (it was published in 2012). But to be fair, I don’t think I was the intended audience.

The primary focus [of this book] is educating the reader on what big data is all about and how it can be utilized through analytics, and providing guidance on how to approach the creation and evolution of a world-class advanced analytics ecosystem in today’s big data environment. A wide range of readers will find this book to be of value and interest. Whether you are an analytics professional, a businessperson who uses the results that analytics produce, or just someone with an interest in big data and advanced analytics, this book has something for you.

I picked it up because I thought I might have been at least one of those things. If the book subsequently taught me anything, it is that I am clearly none of those things -- at least not at the scale or level that the author expected.

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This post first appeared on Eric Lanke's blog, an association executive and author. You can follow him on Twitter @ericlanke or contact him at eric.lanke@gmail.com.