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.

Weapons of Math Destruction

WMDs, or Weapons of Math Destruction, are mathematical algorithms that supposedly take human traits and quantify them, resulting in damaging effects and the perpetuation of bias against certain groups of people.

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How to Become a Data Scientist: A Guide for Established Professionals

Any experienced professional hoping to break into data needs this book because it strikes the right balance between strategic advice and pragmatic tips you can start applying today.
This book gives experienced professionals not just the tactical tips they need to break into a Data Science career, but something even more important - the confidence to make the leap! - Nick Singh, Author of Ac…

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Essential Math for Data Science: Take Control of Your Data with Fundamental Linear Algebra, Probability, and Statistics

Master the math needed to excel in data science, machine learning, and statistics. In this book author Thomas Nield guides you through areas like calculus, probability, linear algebra, and statistics and how they apply to techniques like linear regression, logistic regression, and neural networks. Along the way you'll also gain practical insights into the state of data science and how to use t…

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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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The Hundred-page Machine Learning Book

The Hundred-Page Machine Learning Book goes through the most useful examples of neural networks and deep learning such as, Feed-Forward Neural Networks, Convolutional Neural Networks (usually used for images) and Recurrent Neural Networks (usually used for sequences, like words in an article or notes in a song).

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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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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.

Python Data Science Handbook: Essential Tools for Working with Data

Working scientists and data crunchers familiar with reading and writing Python code will find this comprehensive desk reference ideal for tackling day-to-day issues: manipulating, transforming, and cleaning data; visualizing different types of data; and using data to build statistical or machine learning models. Quite simply, this is the must-have reference for scientific computing in Python.<…

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Practical Statistics for Data Scientists: 50+ Essential Concepts Using R and Python

Statistical methods are a key part of data science, yet few data scientists have formal statistical training. Courses and books on basic statistics rarely cover the topic from a data science perspective. The second edition of this popular guide adds comprehensive examples in Python, provides practical guidance on applying statistical methods to data science, tells you how to avoid their misuse…

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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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Python Data Science Handbook

For many researchers, Python is a first-class tool mainly because of its libraries for storing, manipulating, and gaining insight from data. Several resources exist for individual pieces of this data science stack, but only with the Python Data Science Handbook do you get them all—IPython, NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Scikit-Learn, and other related tools.

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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 for Business: What You Need to Know about Data Mining and Data-Analytic Thinking

Written by renowned data science experts Foster Provost and Tom Fawcett, Data Science for Business introduces the fundamental principles of data science, and walks you through the "data-analytic thinking" necessary for extracting useful knowledge and business value from the data you collect. This guide also helps you understand the many data-mining techniques in use today. Based on an MBA cour…

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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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Hi, I'm Reen! I am currently an ambassador for Google Women Techmakers, with a professional focus in data analytics, social media strategy, and branding. I am pursuing my studies at MIT and have completed my previous education at Oxford. My experience includes working at McKinsey and conducting case studies for …

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