Rating: 
Summary: Indispensable Data Modelling Reference
Review: Allegorically speaking, David Hay has taught his readers how to fish, where many other attempts to reveal the art of data modelling have merely provided one meal. Mr. Hay articulates the abstract concepts of data modelling in a clear and very readable manner, and leads us to a deeper understanding of the basic patterns common to all modelling tasks. Anyone familiar with Richard Barker's Case* Method series will find this book to be an excellent companion to that series.
Rating: 
Summary: Based on Entity-Relationship modelling
Review: Be aware entity-relationship modelling is considered harmful, being incapable of representing a full, detailed relational model and even being misleading quite often.Since this book is based on ERM, it won't be ever a definitive reference. It may have other qualities.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book
Review: Data Model Patterns is informative, thought-provoking, and enjoyable. One of my favorite techncial, no, one of my favorite books, period.
Rating:
Summary: Data Model Design: Going from theory to implementation
Review: For years, I searched for a book that would bridge the gap between the theoretical principles of relational database design and the actual application of those principles to a real-world problem; a reference with practical, industry-specific examples of complete data models. David Hay's book is that, and much more. Data Model Patterns provides models for specific enterprise "types". But it goes a step further by generalizing many common entities and relationships to emphasize that, although details differ, there are striking similarities between analogous data structures across enterprises. Along the way, he points out some of the more common mistakes in data model design and how to avoid them (e.g. building "relationship" information into the structure of an entity or failing to recognize the distinction between the existance of an entity and the actual use of that entity). This book is packed with diagrams, descriptions, and analysis tips. It's contribution to my understanding of data model analysis and design is nothing less than transcendental. David, you should rename this book "Zen and the Art of Data Model Patterns"!
Rating:
Summary: Learn to think like a data modeler
Review: I can understand why this book has gotten some mixed reviews. The author addresses many common modeling problems. But readers looking for instant solutions to those problems will probably be disappointed. Those looking for oop patterns are reading the wrong book. And anyone looking for a beginner's introduction to data modeling will be completely lost. But if you've been feeling as if your database designs could be better, but you're not sure how, you need this book.
Mr. Hay covers many real-world modeling problems. His discussions of these problems give incredible insight into the thought process of a professional data modeler. That is the true value of this book.
I first read this book about three years ago and now I am totally embarrassed by every database I created before. I've re-read it many times since and my copy is beaten and dog-eared. Thankfully, it's a hardcover book.
Make sure you read all the footnotes in the book. Some of them are hysterically funny.
Rating:
Summary: The best I have read on the subject
Review: I have been in Data modeling for now more than 10 years and thought I knew what I was talking about. Hay proved me wrong. Even the Universal model which I was so proud to have discovered on my own is there in almost all possible uses and combination (minus one, but I'll only share it with the VERY interested ones). I have had this book at hand for almost a year now and it is one of the few I consult almost daily. My only grudge is it is based on the Oracle methodology. But this is a very personal grudge.
Rating: 
Summary: Gain Insight Into Business Using Data Model Patterns!
Review: Learning the basics of a modeling technique is not the same as learning how to use and apply it. To develop a data model of an organization is to gain insights into its nature that do not come easily. Indeed, analysts are often expected to understand subtleties of an organization's structure that may have evaded people who have worked there for years.
Here's help for those analysts who have learned the basics of data modeling (or "entity/relationship modeling") but who need to obtain the insights required to prepare a good model of a real business. Structures common to many types of business are analyzed in areas such as accounting, material requirements planning, process manufacturing, contracts, laboratories, and documents.
In each chapter, high-level data models are drawn from the following business areas:
* The Enterprise and Its World
* The Things of the Enterprise
* Procedures and Activities
* Contracts
* Accounting
* The Laboratory
* Material Requirements Planning
* Process Manufacturing
* Documents
* Lower-Level Conventions
Rating:
Summary: The Thinking Person's Resource
Review: There are two ways of modelling business environments.
The first is how they like you to do it in tightly controlled organizations like the military -- "Follow this exact nine-step procedure and your data model will fall out the end of it".
The second is to apply an intelligent, informed, and flexible approach -- it is this method that the book addresses, and it is far superior in my eyes.
Those interested in data modelling by rote should look elsewhere, because this is an excellent resource that will be wasted on you.
Rating:
Summary: A rather dated book; now a disappointment
Review: There is a lot of positive word-of-mouth about this book. However, when I recently read it I found it a real disappointment. Maybe it was an important book when it was published but it has now been superceded by considerably more interesting and complete books on the subjects of patterns and modelling (for example Analysis Patterns by Martin Fowler). The patterns presented are often rather simplistic and provide little new insight for experienced modellers.
Rating: 
Summary: It delivers
Review: This book delivered on my expectations. I was being asked to build a ground-up billing and accounting system, and this book really helped bring clarity to my conceptions and design. This book should be studied. I've omitted a star because this is very much an applied data model pattern book. More esoteric modeling problems, such as meta-data representations of real or digitial world entities are not covered.
| 
