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.

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

This practical book shows you how. By using concrete examples, minimal theory, and two production-ready Python frameworks―scikit-learn and TensorFlow―author Aurélien Géron helps you gain an intuitive understanding of the concepts and tools for building intelligent systems.

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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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Data Science with Python and Dask

Data Science with Python and Dask teaches you to build scalable projects that can handle massive datasets. After meeting the Dask framework, you'll analyze data in the NYC Parking Ticket database and use DataFrames to streamline your process.

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Smarter Data Science: Succeeding with Enterprise-Grade Data and AI Projects

Smarter Data Science outlines an effective and practical way for organizing, managing, and evaluating data, so you can establish an information architecture to better drive AI and data science. You'll learn how to: Simplify data management, making data available when and where it is needed.

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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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Machine Learning: An Artificial Intelligence Approach

The ability to learn is one of the most fundamental attributes of intelligent behavior. Consequently, progress in the theory and computer modeling of learn ing processes is of great significance to fields concerned with understanding in telligence.

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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.

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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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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Head First Statistics

Whether you're a student, a professional, or just curious about statistical analysis, Head First's brain-friendly formula helps you get a firm grasp of statistics so you can understand key points and actually use them. Learn to present data visually with charts and plots; discover the difference between taking the average with mean, median, and mode, and why it's important; learn how to calcul…

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Grokking Deep Learning

Grokking Deep Learning teaches you to build deep learning neural networks from scratch! In his engaging style, seasoned deep learning expert Andrew Trask shows you the science under the hood, so you grok for yourself every detail of training neural networks.

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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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Speech and Language Processing

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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