Reader reviews

A useful guide. The examples assume a particular environment, but that is fixable.

I picked this up after getting stuck on a project and it turned out to be exactly the right book at the right time. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. Good value for the price and worth the time it takes to work through properly.

Good value. Not perfect, but I would buy another book from this author.

There is a particular kind of technical book that is dense without being difficult, and this is one of them. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. Some terminology is introduced without much ceremony; I had to look a few things up along the way. Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.

An enjoyable and informative read, though it could have been shorter.

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. Good value for the price and worth the time it takes to work through properly.

A superb guide. The examples are small but complete.

I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. The chapters on data visualization are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

An enjoyable and informative read, though it could have been shorter.

I picked this up after getting stuck on a project and it turned out to be exactly the right book at the right time. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. The author clearly knows the subject deeply and has thought hard about how to teach it. The chapters on psychology are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. Worth picking up if you already have the basics. Set realistic expectations and you will get a lot out of it.

Almost excellent. A second edition could easily push it to five stars.

I picked this up after getting stuck on a project and it turned out to be exactly the right book at the right time. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. A good addition to a technical library, as long as you know what you are buying.