Designing Data-Intensive Applications, 2nd Edition

The Big Ideas Behind Reliable, Scalable, and Maintainable Systems

By: Martin Kleppmann, Chris Riccomini

Narrated by: Graham Mack

Data is at the center of many challenges in system design today. Difficult issues such as scalability, consistency, reliability, efficiency, and maintainability need to be resolved. In addition, there's an overwhelming variety of systems, including relational databases, NoSQL datastores, data warehouses, and data lakes. There are cloud services, on-premises services, and embedded databases. What are the right choices for your application? How do you make sense of all these buzzwords?

In this second edition, Martin Kleppmann and Chris Riccomini build on the foundation laid in the acclaimed first edition, integrating new technologies and emerging trends. You'll be guided through the maze of decisions involved in building a modern data system, learn how to choose the right tools for your needs, and understand the fundamentals of distributed systems.

• Peer under the hood of the systems you already use, and learn to use them more effectively
• Make informed decisions by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of different tools
• Learn how major cloud services are designed for scalability, fault tolerance, and consistency
• Understand the core principles upon which modern databases are built

©2026 Martin Kleppmann and Chris Riccomini