Reader reviews

Strong content, uneven pacing. I would still recommend it.

A colleague recommended this and I can see why. It does something that few technical books manage: it respects the reader's time. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. The index and cross-references are surprisingly good, which matters for a book I will come back to. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. Worth picking up if you already have the basics. Set realistic expectations and you will get a lot out of it.

This is the one to get if you are serious about analytics.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. An easy five stars from me. I look forward to whatever the author writes next.

Finally, a book that treats data visualization with the care it deserves.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. I particularly liked the way the author builds up from simple cases before introducing the harder material. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. I have already recommended it to two colleagues and will recommend it to more.

Useful in parts. Fine as a reference, less so as a cover-to-cover read.

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 exercises at the end of each chapter are worth doing — they caught a few misconceptions I did not know I had. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. Useful as a reference, less so as a straight read from cover to cover.

Excellent from start to finish. No filler, no padding.

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. Some terminology is introduced without much ceremony; I had to look a few things up along the way. I have already recommended it to two colleagues and will recommend it to more.