Just like you can't randomly understand the fundamentals of software engineering like data structures & algorithms without first studying the concepts directly.
Hey I'm totally fine if people don't like what they're reading though. It gives me a competitive edge for any company I work for if everyone else is against the idea. ;)
What makes you so sure that "Biz Intelligence" folks aren't doing that?
I work with extremely large data sets. Yay. I can call myself a Data Scientist to be in vogue and gain "competitive edge" with people who care about the name I call myself instead of what I'm capable of. I can emphasize that I didn't just "pick up" things randomly, but that I got an abstract mathematics degree. But I'd prefer to be known by what I can do, not my particular label.
"No, no I'm not a programmer, I'm an engineer, which gives me a competitive advantage!" -- Whatever, how well can you code?
I wouldn't have known this about myself before working with and seeing what they do firsthand of course. That's kind of my main point.