Professional

The Expert

A leading voice in Data Lakehouse architecture, Apache Iceberg, and AI — empowering developers and data teams worldwide through books, open source, and education.

Credentials & Expertise

48+
Books Published
34K+
LinkedIn Followers
2025
Dremio CEO Award
🧊 Apache Iceberg ⭐ Apache Polaris 🏗️ Data Lakehouse Architecture 🤖 Agentic AI 🎯 Developer Relations 🐍 Python 🦀 Rust 📊 DataOps ⚡ JavaScript / TypeScript 🗃️ SQL 🐳 Docker 🏢 Dremio

Flagship Publications

Published by O'Reilly and Manning — the industry standard for technical learning.

Apache Iceberg: The Definitive GuideO'Reilly
Apache Iceberg: The Definitive Guide
The comprehensive guide to Apache Iceberg and modern lakehouse architecture.
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Apache Polaris: The Definitive GuideO'Reilly
Apache Polaris: The Definitive Guide
Guide to open catalogs for Apache Iceberg lakehouses.
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Architecting an Apache Iceberg LakehouseManning
Architecting an Apache Iceberg Lakehouse
Architecture patterns for building Iceberg-based data platforms.
View on Amazon →
Alex Merced with O'Reilly books

Technical Library

Self-published deep-dives on Data Lakehouses, AI, and modern data engineering.

Dremio and the Semantic Layer
Dremio and the Semantic Layer
The journey to providing meaning and context for AI.
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Hands-On Agentic Engineering
Hands-On Agentic Engineering
A practical guide to building multi-agent systems.
Amazon →
The Lakehouse Built for Everyone
The Lakehouse Built for Everyone
From laptop prototypes to enterprise-scale agentic AI with Apache Iceberg and Dremio.
Amazon →
The Book on Apache Polaris
The Book on Apache Polaris
Building the open data lakehouse with the industry standard Iceberg REST catalog.
Amazon →
AI-Ready Data
AI-Ready Data
Designing Data Platforms for LLMs, Agents, and RAG.
Amazon →
The AI Engineering Handbook
The AI Engineering Handbook
Full-stack reference for building AI systems.
Amazon →
The 2026 Guide to Lakehouses, Apache Iceberg and Agentic AI
The 2026 Guide to Lakehouses, Apache Iceberg and Agentic AI
Comprehensive guide to lakehouse architecture and AI.
Amazon →
The Book on Agentic Analytics
The Book on Agentic Analytics
Foundations of agentic data architecture.
Amazon →
The Book on Using Apache Iceberg with Python
The Book on Using Apache Iceberg with Python
Hands-on guide using Iceberg with Python tools.
Amazon →
Enabling Agentic Analytics with Apache Iceberg and Dremio
Enabling Agentic Analytics with Apache Iceberg and Dremio
Building AI-ready lakehouse systems.
Amazon →
Using AI Agents for Data Engineering and Data Analysis
Using AI Agents for Data Engineering and Data Analysis
Practical guide to AI-driven data workflows.
Amazon →
The 2026 Guide to AI-Assisted Development
The 2026 Guide to AI-Assisted Development
Prompt engineering and agent workflows for developers.
Amazon →
Apache Iceberg for Agentic AI
Apache Iceberg for Agentic AI
Connecting structured enterprise data to agentic AI systems.
Amazon →
The Agentic Enterprise
The Agentic Enterprise
Deploying AI Agents across the modern organization.
Amazon →
Constructing Context and Semantics for AI Agents
Constructing Context and Semantics for AI Agents
Embeddings, Knowledge Graphs, Memory, RAG, and production agent systems.
Amazon →
The Open Source Lakehouse
The Open Source Lakehouse
Architecting the decoupled analytical foundation.
Amazon →
Evaluating AI Systems
Evaluating AI Systems
Testing LLMs, RAG, and Agents for production.
Amazon →
Governing AI Systems
Governing AI Systems
Best practices for governing AI in the enterprise.
Amazon →
Shipping AI: From Prototype to Production Systems
Shipping AI: From Prototype to Production Systems
Deploy AI systems that scale.
Amazon →
Building Knowledge Systems for AI
Building Knowledge Systems for AI
Graphs, RAG, Memory, and Context for intelligent systems.
Amazon →
The AI Lakehouse
The AI Lakehouse
Architecting data platforms for AI workloads.
Amazon →
AI Application Architecture
AI Application Architecture
Patterns for building intelligent systems.
Amazon →
The Economics of AI
The Economics of AI
Cost, latency, and infrastructure tradeoffs.
Amazon →
The Economics of Labor in the AI Era
The Economics of Labor in the AI Era
Disruption, adaptation, and the future of work.
Amazon →
Alex Merced's Field Guide to Developer Relations
Alex Merced's Field Guide to Developer Relations
Building communities, creating content, and championing technology.
Amazon →
AI and Agents for Normal People
AI and Agents for Normal People
A practical guide to using AI tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, and local agents for everyday tasks.
Amazon →
The No Lock-in Apache Iceberg Lakehouse with Agentic Analytics
The No Lock-in Apache Iceberg Lakehouse with Agentic Analytics
Build portable lakehouses with open catalogs, agentic analytics, and AI-ready data platforms.
Amazon →
Being Productive with Google AI
Being Productive with Google AI
A practical guide to using Google's AI ecosystem including Gemini, NotebookLM, Veo, Gemini Spark, and Jules for AI-powered productivity.
Amazon →
Being Productive with Open Models
Being Productive with Open Models
A practical guide to using open models with Opencode, PI, and Hermes.
Amazon →
Being Productive with Claude
Being Productive with Claude
A practical guide to Claude.ai, Claude Code, and Claude Dispatch.
Amazon →
Being Productive with OpenAI Codex
Being Productive with OpenAI Codex
A practical guide to building documents, images, video, websites, and apps with an AI agent.
Amazon →
The Book on Data, Data Engineering, Data Analytics, and Agentic AI - Volume 2
The Book on Data, Data Engineering, Data Analytics, and Agentic AI - Volume 2
SQL analytics, BI, and agentic AI for modern data platforms.
Amazon →
The Book on Data, Data Engineering, Data Analytics, and Agentic AI - Volume 1
The Book on Data, Data Engineering, Data Analytics, and Agentic AI - Volume 1
Modern data systems, data engineering, analytics, and AI.
Amazon →
Being Productive with Grok and Cursor
Being Productive with Grok and Cursor
A practical guide to xAI Grok Chat, Grok Build, DeepSearch, and the Cursor IDE.
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Being Productive with Microsoft Copilot
Being Productive with Microsoft Copilot
A practical guide to Copilot in Microsoft 365, Windows, GitHub Copilot, and Copilot Studio.
Amazon →

Open Source Projects

🦀
Pangolin
Open-source Data Lakehouse Catalog written in Rust with Iceberg REST Catalog support.
View Code →
🖥️
Apache Iceberg UI
Desktop application for browsing and querying Iceberg Catalogs.
View Code →
🐍
Iceframe
Dataframe library & AI Agent for working with Apache Iceberg in Python.
View Code →
📊
DremioFrame
Specialized dataframe library for interacting with Dremio Cloud.
View Code →
⌨️
Dremio Python CLI
Python CLI for Dremio Software and Cloud.
View Code →
🗄️
SencilloDB
Lightweight, JSON-based JavaScript datastore.
View Code →

Content & Media

Blog, podcasts, video, and newsletters — stay connected with the latest in data and AI.

📝
Alex Merced's Blog
Data, Dev and AI — the professional blog
→ 🎙️
Alex Merced's Tech Podcast
Deep dives on data, AI, and engineering
→ ▶️
YouTube — Data Channel
Video content on data lakehouses and Apache Iceberg
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YouTube — Dev Channel
Web development tutorials and courses
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Substack — Data Lakehouse
Newsletter on data engineering trends
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Medium
Technical articles and thought leadership
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LinkedIn Newsletter
Data Lakehouse Bytes with Alex
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DataLakehouseHub.com
The knowledge hub for data lakehouse architecture
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Conference Speaking

Sharing knowledge on the world's biggest data and technology stages. Available for keynotes, workshops, and panels on data lakehouses, Apache Iceberg, and AI.

🎤 Book Me to Speak
Oredev Data Council (AI Council) Data Day Texas Confluent Current DataEngBytes SQLBits P99Conf Subsurface OSA Con and more...
Alex Merced speaking at a conference

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Alex Merced?
Alex Merced is the Head of Developer Relations at Dremio, an O'Reilly and Manning author of 48+ books, and a leading educator on data lakehouse architecture, Apache Iceberg, Apache Polaris, and agentic analytics.
What books has Alex Merced written?
Alex Merced has written 48+ books, including the flagship titles Apache Iceberg: The Definitive Guide (O'Reilly), Apache Polaris: The Definitive Guide (O'Reilly), and Architecting an Apache Iceberg Lakehouse (Manning), plus many independent titles on data engineering, AI, economics, philosophy, and fiction. See the full catalog at books.alexmerced.com.
What is Alex Merced's role at Dremio?
Alex Merced is the Head of Developer Relations at Dremio, leading developer advocacy and education around the data lakehouse, Apache Iceberg, and agentic analytics. He is a 2025 Dremio CEO Award winner.
How do I book Alex Merced to speak?
Alex speaks at conferences worldwide (Oredev, Data Council, Data Day Texas, Confluent Current, SQLBits, and more) on data lakehouses, Apache Iceberg, and AI. To book him for keynotes, workshops, or panels, email Contact@alexmerced.com.