The book is divided into three parts. The first part discusses the business context of data mining, starting with a chapter that introduces data mining and explains what it is used for and why. The second chapter presents the virtuous cycle of data mining: the continuous process by which data mining is used to turn data into information that leads to actions, which in turn create more data and more learning opportunities. Chapter 3 is a much broader discussion of data mining methodology and best practices. This chapter benefits more than any other from our experience since we wrote the first book. The methodology presented here is designed to leverage the successful engagements in which we have been involved. Chapter 4, which has no equivalent in the first edition, deals with data mining applications in marketing and customer relationship management, the fields where most of our own work has been done.