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ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE
From the review collection
Reader review4 / 5
Good, with realistic expectations
Very good, with a few caveats. The core material is strong.
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 code samples assume a particular environment, which took a bit of fiddling to get running properly. The code samples assume a particular environment, which took a bit of fiddling to get running properly. The chapters on ai & machine learning are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.
Very good, with a few caveats. The core material is strong.
I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. There is a section near the end that ties several earlier ideas together in a way I had not seen before. The explanations are careful without being condescending, which is a difficult balance to strike. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. A good addition to a technical library, as long as you know what you are buying.
A superb guide. The examples are small but complete.
I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. The explanations are careful without being condescending, which is a difficult balance to strike. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.
Useful in parts. Fine as a reference, less so as a cover-to-cover read.
There is a particular kind of technical book that is dense without being difficult, and this is one of them. The chapters on computational biology are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. The code samples assume a particular environment, which took a bit of fiddling to get running properly. Fine, but there are stronger books on the same subject if you look around.
Good in places. I would borrow it before buying if you can.
I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. The index and cross-references are surprisingly good, which matters for a book I will come back to. The explanations are careful without being condescending, which is a difficult balance to strike. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. Borrow it first if you can, or at least check the table of contents carefully before buying.
A useful guide. The examples assume a particular environment, but that is fixable.
There is a particular kind of technical book that is dense without being difficult, and this is one of them. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. Worth picking up if you already have the basics. Set realistic expectations and you will get a lot out of it.
