Data Mining in 20 Minutes Coffee Book Series

I got a lot out of this, even if a few sections felt rushed.

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 examples are small enough to type out and experiment with, which is exactly what I want from a book like this. I particularly liked the way the author builds up from simple cases before introducing the harder material. The exercises at the end of each chapter are worth doing — they caught a few misconceptions I did not know I had. Solid, and I would buy another book from this author without hesitation.

The clearest explanation of javascript I have come across.

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. The chapters on javascript are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. I have already recommended it to two colleagues and will recommend it to more.

I have read a lot of books on this subject and this is the clearest.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. The author avoids over-explaining, which keeps the pace up but means you need to pay attention. There is a section near the end that ties several earlier ideas together in a way I had not seen before. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.