Dr. Chisholm's book is an important work and should be required reading for all senior executives, regulators, and market authorities. What we need before we can develop systems, is a set of clear cut definitions of each data element. This is an excellent book on definitions for data modelers and data managers. Data modeling is the art of defining data elements and is all about definitions. Establishing a common understanding of financial instruments, including the nuances of their underlying contractual structure, is the very foundation of systemic oversight, business process automation, and analytical modeling.