How does [self.tableView reloadData] know what data to reload?

Okay, I understand your frustrations because the vast majority of iPhone instructional material do not pay sufficient attention to overall app design. They make a beeline for the eye candy interface and pay only lip service to way that the app should handle the data even though handling data is the entire purpose of the app in the first place!

A table view's controller doesn't "know without being told" anything-- it doesn't inherently have a property like you mention that data comes from. You supply that data, one cell at a time, generally in your view controller subclass.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.