This work has been done to provide a way of demonstrating a number of database tools and techniques in a few articles. I wanted a very slim database that was in the public domain and was definitely in need of improvement. I have a great fondness for the old PUBS , which dates back to when Sybase was a small startup run by database Geeks. It has been used to demonstrate simple SQL for many decades. PUS was ostensibly the database for a book publishing and distribution business but it didn't really seem to understand much about how these people actually operated. It covers very little of what is required and some of what isn't required. Nonetheless, it is a nostalgic part of our lives, rather like train sets, fish tanks and discos.
So far, I've achieved little to tame the old database beyond making it compatible with later versions of SQL Server, but some time ago I added tags just to show how a table split could work. I also split the Titles table into three, the Publications table, the Editions table and the prices table.
As a practice database, it is great because you can very quickly and harmlessly try out all sorts of design experiments, and demonstrate things without causing damage to anything.