Top Data Science books recommended by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we've connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favourite Data Science books – and here are the answers.

Table of Contents

Fundamentals of Data Science

Understanding the concepts of Data Science starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

Data Science For Dummies

Here's what to expect in Data Science for Dummies: Provides a background in big data and data engineering before moving on to data science and how it's applied to generate value. Includes coverage of big data frameworks and applications like Hadoop, MapReduce, Spark, MPP platforms, and NoSQL.

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Introduction to Probability

Probability is simply how likely something is to happen. Whenever we're unsure about the outcome of an event, we can talk about the probabilities of certain outcomes—how likely they are. The analysis of events governed by probability is called statistics.

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Data Science from Scratch: First Principles with Python

To really learn data science, you should not only master the tools―data science libraries, frameworks, modules, and toolkits―but also understand the ideas and principles underlying them. Updated for Python 3.6, this second edition of Data Science from Scratch shows you how these tools and algorithms work by implementing them from scratch.
If you have an aptitude for mathematics and some pro…

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Designing Data-Intensive Applications: The Big Ideas Behind Reliable, Scalable, and Maintainable Systems

Data is at the center of many challenges in system design today. Difficult issues need to be figured out, such as scalability, consistency, reliability, efficiency, and maintainability. In addition, we have an overwhelming variety of tools, including relational databases, NoSQL datastores, stream or batch processors, and message brokers. What are the right choices for your application? How do …

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Murach's Python for Data Science (2nd Edition): Training and Reference

These days, businesses are collecting massive amounts of data. But this data isn’t valuable until someone analyzes it to gain insights that can be used to make decisions. That’s why the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that the demand for data analysts will continue to grow for the rest of the decade.
Now, with Murach’s Python for Data Science as your guide, you’ll learn how to …

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Think Stats

Think Stats is an introduction to Probability and Statistics for Python programmers. Think Stats emphasizes simple techniques you can use to explore real data sets and answer interesting questions. The book presents a case study using data from the National Institutes of Health.

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Additional Data Science Reading

These books are not required for you to learn Data Science, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

The Kaggle Book: Data analysis and machine learning for competitive data science

Millions of data enthusiasts from around the world compete on Kaggle, the most famous data science competition platform of them all. Participating in Kaggle competitions is a surefire way to improve your data analysis skills, network with an amazing community of data scientists, and gain valuable experience to help grow your career.
The first book of its kind, The Kaggle Book assembles in o…

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Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals

This book demonstrates how to go beyond conventional tools to reach the root of your data, and how to use your data to create an engaging, informative, compelling story. Specifically, you'll learn how to: Understand the importance of context and audience. Determine the appropriate type of graph for your situation.

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Statistics for Data Scientists

Statistical methods are a key part of data science, yet very few data scientists have any formal statistics training. Courses and books on basic statistics rarely cover the topic from a data science perspective. This practical guide explains how to apply various statistical methods to data science, tells you how to avoid their misuse, and gives you advice on what's important and what's not.

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Hands-On Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn, Keras, and TensorFlow: Concepts, Tools, and Techniques to Build Intelligent Systems

Through a series of recent breakthroughs, deep learning has boosted the entire field of machine learning. Now, even programmers who know close to nothing about this technology can use simple, efficient tools to implement programs capable of learning from data. This practical book shows you how.

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Introduction to Machine Learning with Python: A Guide for Data Scientists

You'll learn the steps necessary to create a successful machine-learning application with Python and the scikit-learn library. Authors Andreas Müller and Sarah Guido focus on the practical aspects of using machine learning algorithms, rather than the math behind them.

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Books / Data science

In a way, data science has become humanity’s sixth sense. Yet it’s also probably the sense the average person understands the least. So for anyone hoping to learn more, we asked three experts to recommend their favorite data science books from introductory overviews to more advanced content on deep learning, bias in algorithms and more. The resulting reading list includes data science books co…

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Specializations and Deeper Data Science Knowledge

You've got your basics in order – time to move on to some advanced and specialized concepts. Data Science is evolving every day, these books can help you master it.

The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our World

In The Master Algorithm, Pedro Domingos lifts the veil to give us a peek inside the learning machines that power Google, Amazon, and your smartphone. He assembles a blueprint for the future universal learner--the Master Algorithm--and discusses what it will mean for business, science, and society.

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This list is curated by MentorCruise and can include Amazon affiliate links. Have any other suggestions? Add here.

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