Mara's bookshelf: data-dev-and-design en-US Wed, 04 Dec 2024 07:37:11 -0800 60 Mara's bookshelf: data-dev-and-design 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup's Quest to End Privacy as We Know It]]> 75293505
“The dystopian future portrayed in some science-fiction movies is already uponĚýus. Kashmir Hill’s fascinating book brings home the scary implications of this new reality.”—John Carreyrou, author of Bad Blood

Longlisted for the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year Award

New York Times tech reporter Kashmir Hill was skeptical when she got a tip about a mysterious app called Clearview AI that claimed it could, with 99 percent accuracy, identify anyone based on just one snapshot of their face. The app could supposedly scan aĚýfaceĚýand, in just seconds, surface every detail of a person’s online their name, social media profiles, friends and family members, home address, and photos that they might not have even known existed. If it was everything it claimed to be, it would be the ultimate surveillance tool, and it would open the door to everything from stalking to totalitarian state control. Could it be true?

In this riveting account, Hill tracks the improbable rise of Clearview AI, helmed by Hoan Ton-That, an Australian computer engineer, and Richard Schwartz, a former Rudy Giuliani advisor, and its astounding collection of billions of faces from the internet. The company was boosted by a cast of controversial characters, including conservative provocateur Charles C. Johnson and billionaire Donald Trump backer Peter Thiel—who all seemed eager to release this society-altering technology on the public.ĚýGoogle and Facebook decided that a tool to identify strangers was too radical to release, but Clearview forged ahead, sharing the app with private investors, pitching it to businesses, andĚýoffering it to thousands of law enforcement agencies around theĚýworld.
 â¶Ä‚â¶Ä‚â¶Ä‚â¶Ä‚â¶Ä�
Facial recognition technology has been quietly growing more powerful for decades. This technology has already been used in wrongful arrests in the United States. Unregulated, it could expand the reach of policing, as it has in China and Russia, to a terrifying, dystopian level.
 â¶Ä‚â¶Ä‚â¶Ä‚â¶Ä�
Your Face Belongs to Us is a gripping true story about the rise of a technological superpower and an urgent warning that, in the absence of vigilance and government regulation, Clearview AI is one of many new technologies that challenge what Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once called “the right to be let alone.”]]> 352 Kashmir Hill 0593448561 Mara 4 4.13 2023 Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup's Quest to End Privacy as We Know It
author: Kashmir Hill
name: Mara
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/04
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: 2024-reads, library-books, non-fiction, data-dev-and-design, how-we-got-here
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Small Wars, Big Data: The Information Revolution in Modern Conflict]]> 40158037 How a new understanding of warfare can help the military fight today’s conflicts more effectivelyThe way wars are fought has changed starkly over the past sixty years. International military campaigns used to play out between large armies at central fronts. Today's conflicts find major powers facing rebel insurgencies that deploy elusive methods, from improvised explosives to terrorist attacks. Small Wars, Big Data presents a transformative understanding of these contemporary confrontations and how they should be fought. The authors show that a revolution in the study of conflict--enabled by vast data, rich qualitative evidence, and modern methods—yields new insights into terrorism, civil wars, and foreign interventions. Modern warfare is not about struggles over territory but over people; civilians—and the information they might choose to provide—can turn the tide at critical junctures.The authors draw practical lessons from the past two decades of conflict in locations ranging from Latin America and the Middle East to Central and Southeast Asia. Building an information-centric understanding of insurgencies, the authors examine the relationships between rebels, the government, and civilians. This approach serves as a springboard for exploring other aspects of modern conflict, including the suppression of rebel activity, the role of mobile communications networks, the links between aid and violence, and why conventional military methods might provide short-term success but undermine lasting peace. Ultimately the authors show how the stronger side can almost always win the villages, but why that does not guarantee winning the war. Small Wars, Big Data provides groundbreaking perspectives for how small wars can be better strategized and favorably won to the benefit of the local population.]]> 408 Eli Berman 140089011X Mara 4 4.06 Small Wars, Big Data: The Information Revolution in Modern Conflict
author: Eli Berman
name: Mara
average rating: 4.06
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2019/08/10
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: 2019-reads, data-dev-and-design, non-fiction, statecraft, war, audiobooks
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Communicating Design: Developing Web Site Documentation for Design and Planning, 2nd edition]]> 10020582 311 Dan M. Brown 0131385410 Mara 4 3.86 Communicating Design: Developing Web Site Documentation for Design and Planning, 2nd edition
author: Dan M. Brown
name: Mara
average rating: 3.86
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/07/14
shelves: non-fiction, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Machine Learning with R - Fourth Edition]]> 121034971 762 Brett Lantz 1801071322 Mara 4 4.50 2015 Machine Learning with R - Fourth Edition
author: Brett Lantz
name: Mara
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/22
date added: 2024/05/20
shelves: 2023-reads, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Communicating with Data: The Art of Writing for Data Science]]> 56097319
Communicating with Data consists of five parts. Part I helps the novice learn to write by reading the work of others. Part II delves into the specifics of how to describe data at a level appropriate for publication, create informative and effective visualizations, and communicate an analysis pipeline through well-written, reproducible code. Part III demonstrates how to reduce a data analysis to a compelling story and organize and write the first draft of a technical paper. Part IV addresses revision; this includes advice on writing about statistical findings in a clear and accurate way, general writing advice, and strategies for proof reading and revising. Part V offers advice about communication strategies beyond the page, which include giving talks, building a professional network, and participating in online communities. This book also provides 22 portfolio prompts that extend the guidance and examples in the earlier parts of the book and help writers build their portfolio of data
communication.]]> 352 Deborah Nolan 019886275X Mara 5 4.75 Communicating with Data: The Art of Writing for Data Science
author: Deborah Nolan
name: Mara
average rating: 4.75
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2021/06/03
date added: 2021/06/03
shelves: 2021-reads, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction]]> 30901608
In his groundbreaking investigation, The Atlantic senior editor Derek Thompson uncovers the hidden psychology of why we like what we like and reveals the economics of cultural markets that invisibly shape our lives. Shattering the sentimental myths of hit-making that dominate pop culture and business, Thompson shows that quality is insufficient for success; nobody has "good taste"; and some of the most popular products in history were one bad break away from utter failure. It may be a new world, but there are some enduring truths to what audiences and consumers want. People love a familiar surprise: a product that is bold yet sneakily recognizable.

Every business, every artist, every person looking to promote themselves and their work wants to know what makes some works so successful while others disappear. Hit Makers is a magical mystery tour through the last century of pop culture blockbusters and the most valuable currency of the twenty-first century--people's attention. From the dawn of impressionist art to the future of Facebook, from small Etsy designers to the origin of Star Wars, Thompson leaves no Pet Rock unturned to tell the fascinating story of how culture happens and why things become popular.]]> 307 Derek Thompson 110198032X Mara 5 3.87 2017 Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction
author: Derek Thompson
name: Mara
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2017/03/20
date added: 2021/04/28
shelves: 2017-reads, audiobooks, data-dev-and-design, money-and-mind, non-fiction, psychology
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Better Data Visualizations: A Guide for Scholars, Researchers, and Wonks]]> 53214552
This book details essential strategies to create more effective data visualizations. Jonathan Schwabish walks readers through the steps of creating better graphs and how to move beyond simple line, bar, and pie charts. Through more than five hundred examples, he demonstrates the do’s and don’ts of data visualization, the principles of visual perception, and how to make subjective style decisions around a chart’s design. Schwabish surveys more than eighty visualization types, from histograms to horizon charts, ridgeline plots to choropleth maps, and explains how each has its place in the visual toolkit. It might seem intimidating, but everyone can learn how to create compelling, effective data visualizations. This book will guide you as you define your audience and goals, choose the graph that best fits for your data, and clearly communicate your message.]]> 464 Jonathan Schwabish 0231193114 Mara 5 4.43 Better Data Visualizations: A Guide for Scholars, Researchers, and Wonks
author: Jonathan Schwabish
name: Mara
average rating: 4.43
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2021/03/11
date added: 2021/03/11
shelves: 2021-reads, data-dev-and-design, lets-get-visual
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Open Source Alternative: Understanding Risks and Leveraging Opportunities]]> 2699676 304 Heather J. Meeker 0470194952 Mara 4 3.92 2008 The Open Source Alternative: Understanding Risks and Leveraging Opportunities
author: Heather J. Meeker
name: Mara
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2020/11/26
date added: 2020/11/26
shelves: 2020-reads, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software]]> 54216469 An inside look at modern open source software developers--and their influence on our online social world. "Nadia is one of today's most nuanced thinkers about the depth and potential of online communities, and this book could not have come at a better time." --Devon Zuegel, director of product, communities at GitHub Open source software––in which developers publish code that anyone can use––has long served as a bellwether for other online behavior. In the late 1990s, it provided an optimistic model for public collaboration, but in the last 20 years it’s shifted to solo operators who write and publish code that’s consumed by millions. In Working in Public, Nadia Eghbal takes an inside look at modern open source software development, its evolution over the last two decades, and its ramifications for an internet reorienting itself around individual creators. Eghbal, who interviewed hundreds of developers while working to improve their experience at GitHub, argues that modern open source offers us a model through which to understand the challenges faced by online creators. She examines the trajectory of open source projects, � the platform of GitHub, for hosting and development; � the structures, roles, incentives, and relationships involved; � the often-overlooked maintenance required of its creators; � and the costs of production that endure through an application’s lifetime. Eghbal also scrutinizes the role of platforms––like Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram––which reduce infrastructure and distribution costs for creators, but which massively increase the scope of interactions with their audience. Open source communities are increasingly centered around the work of individual developers rather than teams. Similarly, if creators, rather than discrete communities, are going to become the epicenter of our online social systems, we need to better understand how they work––and we can do so by studying what happened to open source.]]> 256 Nadia Eghbal 1953953301 Mara 5 4.04 2020 Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software
author: Nadia Eghbal
name: Mara
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2020/10/07
date added: 2020/11/03
shelves: 2020-reads, data-dev-and-design, non-fiction, recommended-to-me
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Statistical Inference Via Data Science: A Moderndive Into R and the Tidyverse]]> 51788540 Statistical Inference via Data Science: A ModernDive into R and the Tidyverse provides a pathway for learning about statistical inference using data science tools widely used in industry, academia, and government. It introduces the tidyverse suite of R packages, including the ggplot2 package for data visualization, and the dplyr package for data wrangling. After equipping readers with just enough of these data science tools to perform effective exploratory data analyses, the book covers traditional introductory statistics topics like confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, and multiple regression modeling, while focusing on visualization throughout.

Features:
â—� Assumes minimal prerequisites, notably, no prior calculus nor coding experience
â—� Motivates theory using real-world data, including all domestic flights leaving New York City in 2013, the Gapminder project, and the data journalism website, FiveThirtyEight.com
â—� Centers on simulation-based approaches to statistical inference rather than mathematical formulas
â—� Uses the infer package for "tidy" and transparent statistical inference to construct confidence intervals and conduct hypothesis tests via the bootstrap and permutation methods
â—� Provides all code and output embedded directly in the text; also available in the online version at moderndive.com

This book is intended for individuals who would like to simultaneously start developing their data science toolbox and start learning about the inferential and modeling tools used in much of modern-day research. The book can be used in methods and data science courses and first courses in statistics, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.]]> 430 Chester Ismay 0367409828 Mara 5
Through apt use of analogies, hands-on exercises, and abundant opportunities to get coding, this book delivers on its promise to give a reader without a background in statistics or programming the tools necessary for understanding and conducting real-world statistical inference and data analysis.

With an emphasis on learning new concepts first "by hand," before turning to the code, it would make a particularly useful classroom companion. However, the "learning checks" provided throughout also make it a great guide for self-study.

Students and teachers alike will benefit from this thoughtful introduction, as it addresses even the smallest of details that can trip beginners up, and keep them from getting to the more fruitful parts of data analysis.

Also available free online: ]]> 4.38 Statistical Inference Via Data Science: A Moderndive Into R and the Tidyverse
author: Chester Ismay
name: Mara
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2020/01/20
date added: 2020/02/26
shelves: 2020-reads, data-dev-and-design
review:
My official endorsement (literally, it's on the ):

Through apt use of analogies, hands-on exercises, and abundant opportunities to get coding, this book delivers on its promise to give a reader without a background in statistics or programming the tools necessary for understanding and conducting real-world statistical inference and data analysis.

With an emphasis on learning new concepts first "by hand," before turning to the code, it would make a particularly useful classroom companion. However, the "learning checks" provided throughout also make it a great guide for self-study.

Students and teachers alike will benefit from this thoughtful introduction, as it addresses even the smallest of details that can trip beginners up, and keep them from getting to the more fruitful parts of data analysis.

Also available free online:
]]> Data Feminism 51777543
Today, data science is a form of power. It has been used to expose injustice, improve health outcomes, and topple governments. But it has also been used to discriminate, police, and surveil. This potential for good, on the one hand, and harm, on the other, makes it essential to ask: Data science by whom? Data science for whom? Data science with whose interests in mind? The narratives around big data and data science are overwhelmingly white, male, and techno-heroic. In Data Feminism, Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren Klein present a new way of thinking about data science and data ethics—one that is informed by intersectional feminist thought.

Illustrating data feminism in action, D'Ignazio and Klein show how challenges to the male/female binary can help challenge other hierarchical (and empirically wrong) classification systems. They explain how, for example, an understanding of emotion can expand our ideas about effective data visualization, and how the concept of invisible labor can expose the significant human efforts required by our automated systems. And they show why the data never, ever “speak for themselves.�

Data Feminism offers strategies for data scientists seeking to learn how feminism can help them work toward justice, and for feminists who want to focus their efforts on the growing field of data science. But Data Feminism is about much more than gender. It is about power, about who has it and who doesn't, and about how those differentials of power can be challenged and changed.]]> 328 Catherine D’Ignazio 0262044005 Mara 0 4.33 2020 Data Feminism
author: Catherine D’Ignazio
name: Mara
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/02/25
shelves: to-read, data-dev-and-design, gender
review:

]]> <![CDATA[User Friendly: How the Hidden Rules of Design Are Changing the Way We Live, Work, and Play]]> 41940285 An alternate cover edition can be found here.

In User Friendly, Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant reveal the untold story of a paradigm that quietly rules our modern lives: the assumption that machines should anticipate what we need. Spanning over a century of sweeping changes, from women's rights to the Great Depression to World War II to the rise of the digital era, this book unpacks the ways in which the world has been--and continues to be--remade according to the principles of the once-obscure discipline of user-experience design.
In this essential text, Kuang and Fabricant map the hidden rules of the designed world and shed light on how those rules have caused our world to change--an underappreciated but essential history that's pieced together for the first time. Combining the expertise and insight of a leading journalist and a pioneering designer, User Friendly provides a definitive, thoughtful, and practical perspective on a topic that has rapidly gone from arcane to urgent to inescapable. In User Friendly, Kuang and Fabricant tell the whole story for the first time--and you'll never interact with technology the same way again.]]> 416 Cliff Kuang Mara 4 4.14 2019 User Friendly: How the Hidden Rules of Design Are Changing the Way We Live, Work, and Play
author: Cliff Kuang
name: Mara
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2020/02/12
date added: 2020/02/12
shelves: 2020-reads, data-dev-and-design, non-fiction, psychology
review:

]]> <![CDATA[D3.js in Action: Data visualization with JavaScript]]> 33032604
D3.js in Action, Second Edition is completely revised and updated for D3 v4 and ES6. It's a practical tutorial for creating interactive graphics and data-driven applications using D3. It includes instructions on how to use D3 modules with npm, as well as how to integrate D3 with modern MVC frameworks like React.js. You'll start with in-depth explanations of D3's out-of-the-box layouts, along with dozens of real-world use cases that align with different types of visualizations. Then, you'll explore techniques for content creation, animation, and representing dynamic data—including interactive graphics and data streamed live over the web. The final chapters show you how to use more complex D3 functionality to improve performance and build a complete web application. By the end, you'll be ready to integrate D3.js into your web development process and add data visualization to transform any site or internal application.]]> 384 Elijah Meeks 1617294489 Mara 5 3.96 2015 D3.js in Action: Data visualization with JavaScript
author: Elijah Meeks
name: Mara
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2017/01/06
date added: 2019/12/31
shelves: 2016-reads, data-dev-and-design, lets-get-visual
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Creative Curve: How to Develop the Right Idea at the Right Time]]> 37509591
We have been spoon-fed the notion that creativity is the province of genius -- of those favored, brilliant few whose moments of insight arrive in unpredictable flashes of divine inspiration. And if we are not a genius, we might as well pack it in and give up. Either we have that gift, or we don’t. But Allen shows that simply isn’t true. Recent research has shown that there is a predictable science behind achieving commercial success in any creative endeavor, from writing a popular novel to starting up a successful company to creating an effective marketing campaign.

As the world’s most creative people have discovered, we are enticed by the novel and the familiar. By understanding the mechanics of what Gannett calls “the creative curve� � the point of optimal tension between the novel and the familiar � everyone can better engineer mainstream success.

In a thoroughly entertaining book that describes the stories and insights of everyone from the Broadway team behind Dear Evan Hansen , to the founder of Reddit, from the Chief Content Officer of Netflix to Michelin star chefs, Gannett reveals the four laws of creative success and identifies the common patterns behind their achievement.]]> 288 Allen Gannett Mara 4 3.95 2018 The Creative Curve: How to Develop the Right Idea at the Right Time
author: Allen Gannett
name: Mara
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2019/11/24
date added: 2019/11/24
shelves: 2019-reads, data-dev-and-design, recommended-to-me
review:

]]> Advanced R 44140913 Advanced R helps you understand how R works at a fundamental level. It is designed for R programmers who want to deepen their understanding of the language, and programmers experienced in other languages who want to understand what makes R different and special.

This book will teach you the foundations of R; three fundamental programming paradigms (functional, object-oriented, and metaprogramming); and powerful techniques for debugging and optimising
your code.

By reading this book, you will learn:

The difference between an object and its name, and why the distinction is important

The important vector data structures, how they fit together, and how you can pull them apart using subsetting

The fine details of functions and environments

The condition system, which powers messages, warnings, and errors

The powerful functional programming paradigm, which can replace many for loops

The three most important OO systems: S3, S4, and R6

The tidy eval toolkit for metaprogramming, which allows you to manipulate code and control evaluation

Effective debugging techniques that you can deploy, regardless of how your code is run

How to find and remove performance bottlenecks

The second edition is a comprehensive update:

New foundational chapters: "Names and values," "Control flow," and "Conditions"

comprehensive coverage of object oriented programming with chapters on S3, S4, R6, and how to choose between them

Much deeper coverage of metaprogramming, including the new tidy evaluation framework

Use of color in code chunks and figures]]> 588 Hadley Wickham 0815384572 Mara 5 4.82 2014 Advanced R
author: Hadley Wickham
name: Mara
average rating: 4.82
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2019/08/13
date added: 2019/08/13
shelves: 2019-reads, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fundamentals of Data Visualization: A Primer on Making Informative and Compelling Figures]]> 40014286
This practical book takes you through many commonly encountered visualization problems, and it provides guidelines on how to turn large datasets into clear and compelling figures. What visualization type is best for the story you want to tell? How do you make informative figures that are visually pleasing? Author Claus O. Wilke teaches you the elements most critical to successful data visualization.


Explore the basic concepts of color as a tool to highlight, distinguish, or represent a value
Understand the importance of redundant coding to ensure you provide key information in multiple ways
Use the book's visualizations directory, a graphical guide to commonly used types of data visualizations
Get extensive examples of good and bad figures
Learn how to use figures in a document or report and how employ them effectively to tell a compelling story]]> 387 Claus O. Wilke 1492031089 Mara 5 4.40 Fundamentals of Data Visualization: A Primer on Making Informative and Compelling Figures
author: Claus O. Wilke
name: Mara
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2019/05/15
date added: 2019/05/15
shelves: 2019-reads, data-dev-and-design, lets-get-visual
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sprawlball: A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA]]> 40796173 From the leading expert in the exploding field of basketball analytics, aĚýstunning infographic decoding of the modern NBA: who shoots where, and how.

The field of basketball analytics has leaped to overdrive thanks to Kirk Goldsberry, whose visual maps of players, teams, and positions have helped teams understand who really is the most valuable player at any position. SprawlBall combines stunning visuals, in-depth analysis, fun, behind-the-scenes stories and gee-whiz facts to chart a modern revolution.ĚýFrom the introduction of the 3-point line to today, the game has changed drastically . . .

Now, players like Steph Curry and Draymond Green are leading the charge. In chapters like “The Geography of the NBA,â€� “The Interior Minister (Lebron James),â€� “The Evolution of Steph Curry,â€� and “The Investor (James Harden),â€� Goldsberry explains why today’sĚýon-court product—with its emphasis on shooting, passing, and spacing—has never been prettier or more democratic.ĚýAnd it’s never been more popular. For fans of Bill Simmons and FreeDarko,SprawlBall is a bold new vision of the game, presenting an innovative, cutting-edge look at the sport based on the latest research, as well as a visual and infographic feast for fans.]]> 256 Kirk Goldsberry 1328767515 Mara 5 4.10 2019 Sprawlball: A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA
author: Kirk Goldsberry
name: Mara
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/05/15
date added: 2019/05/15
shelves: 2019-reads, data-dev-and-design, only-a-game
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men]]> 41104077
Celebrated feminist advocate Caroline Criado Perez investigates the shocking root cause of gender inequality and research in Invisible Women�, diving into women’s lives at home, the workplace, the public square, the doctor’s office, and more. Built on hundreds of studies in the US, the UK, and around the world, and written with energy, wit, and sparkling intelligence, this is a groundbreaking, unforgettable exposé that will change the way you look at the world.]]> 448 Caroline Criado Pérez 1419729071 Mara 4 4.35 2019 Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
author: Caroline Criado PĂ©rez
name: Mara
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2019/05/03
date added: 2019/05/03
shelves: gender, 2019-reads, data-dev-and-design, how-we-got-here, non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Technically Wrong: Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms, and Other Threats of Toxic Tech]]> 34068533
Sara Wachter-Boettcher takes an unflinching look at the values, processes, and assumptions that lead to these and other problems. Technically Wrong demystifies the tech industry, leaving those of us on the other side of the screen better prepared to make informed choices about the services we use—and demand more from the companies behind them.]]> 240 Sara Wachter-Boettcher 0393634639 Mara 4 4.13 2017 Technically Wrong: Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms, and Other Threats of Toxic Tech
author: Sara Wachter-Boettcher
name: Mara
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2018/11/21
date added: 2019/04/27
shelves: 2018-reads, data-dev-and-design, library-books, non-fiction, science, how-we-got-here, gender, race
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy]]> 28186015 But as mathematician and data scientist Cathy O'Neil reveals, the mathematical models being used today are unregulated and uncontestable, even when they're wrong. Most troubling, they reinforce discrimination--propping up the lucky, punishing the downtrodden, and undermining our democracy in the process.]]> 259 Cathy O'Neil 0553418815 Mara 3 3.86 2016 Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy
author: Cathy O'Neil
name: Mara
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2016/10/26
date added: 2019/04/27
shelves: 2016-reads, library-books, non-fiction, of-markets-and-men, data-dev-and-design, science, how-we-got-here, race
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Land of Lisp: Learn to Program in Lisp, One Game at a Time!]]> 6905041 504 Conrad Barski 1593272006 Mara 4 4.14 2010 Land of Lisp: Learn to Program in Lisp, One Game at a Time!
author: Conrad Barski
name: Mara
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2019/03/27
date added: 2019/04/27
shelves: 2018-reads, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Info We Trust: How to Inspire the World with Data]]> 39967323 272 RJ Andrews 1119483891 Mara 5 RJ Andrews is immensely talented, the beauty of Info We Trust: How to Inspire the World with Data (the book itself) may trick you into thinking it is to be put on a table (coffee or otherwise) for casual consumption � and, don't get me wrong, it can be! But, in so doing, you would be denying yourself something that is so much greater than the sum of its parts. It is as Andrews writes of the art of data-storytelling:
Do not allow the allure of the reward to supersede the journey itself.
Everything about this book has been artfully considered and crafted. The bibliography (which brings together so many great works I've loved, but would never have connected without Andrews' keen eye) is its own data visualization of sorts.
“What is this magical wonderland of which you speak so highly?� you may be asking yourself at this point. And I stutter, because it's hard to describe something that has already captured so much in so little space (which I mean in the best of ways). It is, as its title suggests, inspiration (in the Latin, past-participle sense of breathe life into, excite, enflame), but also practical wisdom. The narrative, a trip through the British Museum, say, is interwoven with things you as a data storyteller will also need to know � artifacts to be taken home with you. You're not told that "information overload" is something to be avoided, Andrews lets you � leads you � to discover this by his side:
Satiation occurs from repeated exposure to too much of the same thing. Distraction occurs when you are overrun with stimuli begging for your gaze.
Andrews' use of marginalia and gives you both simple lessons to take away, and insights into where to find out more (I told you, the bibliography is magnificent). That hand-drawn feeling demonstrates just how much care was taken with you, dear reader, in mind.

You will turn the final page both sated, and energized and equipped to go forth and do more.]]> 4.00 Info We Trust: How to Inspire the World with Data
author: RJ Andrews
name: Mara
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2019/02/02
date added: 2019/02/02
shelves: 2019-reads, data-dev-and-design, lets-get-visual
review:
Because RJ Andrews is immensely talented, the beauty of Info We Trust: How to Inspire the World with Data (the book itself) may trick you into thinking it is to be put on a table (coffee or otherwise) for casual consumption � and, don't get me wrong, it can be! But, in so doing, you would be denying yourself something that is so much greater than the sum of its parts. It is as Andrews writes of the art of data-storytelling:
Do not allow the allure of the reward to supersede the journey itself.
Everything about this book has been artfully considered and crafted. The bibliography (which brings together so many great works I've loved, but would never have connected without Andrews' keen eye) is its own data visualization of sorts.
“What is this magical wonderland of which you speak so highly?� you may be asking yourself at this point. And I stutter, because it's hard to describe something that has already captured so much in so little space (which I mean in the best of ways). It is, as its title suggests, inspiration (in the Latin, past-participle sense of breathe life into, excite, enflame), but also practical wisdom. The narrative, a trip through the British Museum, say, is interwoven with things you as a data storyteller will also need to know � artifacts to be taken home with you. You're not told that "information overload" is something to be avoided, Andrews lets you � leads you � to discover this by his side:
Satiation occurs from repeated exposure to too much of the same thing. Distraction occurs when you are overrun with stimuli begging for your gaze.
Andrews' use of marginalia and gives you both simple lessons to take away, and insights into where to find out more (I told you, the bibliography is magnificent). That hand-drawn feeling demonstrates just how much care was taken with you, dear reader, in mind.

You will turn the final page both sated, and energized and equipped to go forth and do more.
]]> <![CDATA[Data Science Foundations Tools and Techniques (Addison-Wesley Data & Analytics Series)]]> 42868162 The Foundational Hands-On Skills You Need to Dive into Data Science



“Freeman and Ross have created the definitive resource for new and aspiring data scientists to learn foundational programming skills.�

–From the foreword by Jared Lander, series editor

Using data science techniques, you can transform raw data into actionable insights for domains ranging from urban planning to precision medicine. Programming Skills for Data Science brings together all the foundational skills you need to get started, even if you have no programming or data science experience.

Ěý

Leading instructors Michael Freeman and Joel Ross guide you through installing and configuring the tools you need to solve professional-level data science problems, including the widely used R language and Git version-control system. They explain how to wrangle your data into a form where it can be easily used, analyzed, and visualized so others can see the patterns you’ve uncovered. Step by step, you’ll master powerful R programming techniques and troubleshooting skills for probing data in new ways, and at larger scales.

Ěý

Freeman and Ross teach through practical examples and exercises that can be combined into complete data science projects. Everything’s focused on real-world application, so you can quickly start analyzing your own data and getting answers you can act upon. Learn to

Install your complete data science environment, including R and RStudio Manage projects efficiently, from version tracking to documentation Host, manage, and collaborate on data science projects with GitHub Master R language syntax, programming concepts, and data structures Load, format, explore, and restructure data for successful analysis Interact with databases and web APIs Master key principles for visualizing data accurately and intuitively Produce engaging, interactive visualizations with ggplot and other R packages Transform analyses into sharable documents and sites with R Markdown Create interactive web data science applications with Shiny Collaborate smoothly as part of a data science team Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.]]> 384 Michael Freeman 0135159083 Mara 5 4.29 Data Science Foundations Tools and Techniques (Addison-Wesley Data & Analytics Series)
author: Michael Freeman
name: Mara
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/21
date added: 2019/01/21
shelves: 2019-reads, data-dev-and-design, non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Data Visualization: A Practical Introduction]]> 39964443 An accessible primer on how to create effective graphics from data

This book provides students and researchers a hands-on introduction to the principles and practice of data visualization. It explains what makes some graphs succeed while others fail, how to make high-quality figures from data using powerful and reproducible methods, and how to think about data visualization in an honest and effective way.

Data Visualization builds the reader's expertise in ggplot2, a versatile visualization library for the R programming language. Through a series of worked examples, this accessible primer then demonstrates how to create plots piece by piece, beginning with summaries of single variables and moving on to more complex graphics. Topics include plotting continuous and categorical variables; layering information on graphics; producing effective "small multiple" plots; grouping, summarizing, and transforming data for plotting; creating maps; working with the output of statistical models; and refining plots to make them more comprehensible.

Effective graphics are essential to communicating ideas and a great way to better understand data. This book provides the practical skills students and practitioners need to visualize quantitative data and get the most out of their research findings.


Provides hands-on instruction using R and ggplot2


Shows how the "tidyverse" of data analysis tools makes working with R easier and more consistent


Includes a library of data sets, code, and functions
]]> 272 Kieran Healy 0691181624 Mara 5 Data Visualization: A Practical Introduction author Kieran Healy writes:
My main goal is to introduce you to both the ideas and the methods of data visualization in a sensible, comprehensible, reproducible way.
Well, mission accomplished. The book is at once enormously readable, and sufficiently technically detailed as to make it easy to implement the principles introduced.

The book itself is also beautifully designed. The use of figures and margin notes give you a sense of being guided through the ideas rather than just being told what they are. I've had lots of fun going back to some of my own visualizations made with R and ggplot2 and improving them based on what I learned here.

I absolutely recommend this to beginners and experts alike. Healy gives you everything you'd need to know if you're starting from scratch, but in such a way as to not slow things down for the more experienced reader. For that reason, it would also make a great book for a course on applied use of R.]]> 4.35 2018 Data Visualization: A Practical Introduction
author: Kieran Healy
name: Mara
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2018/12/31
date added: 2019/01/03
shelves: 2018-reads, data-dev-and-design, lets-get-visual, half-baked-reviews
review:
In the preface to the Data Visualization: A Practical Introduction author Kieran Healy writes:
My main goal is to introduce you to both the ideas and the methods of data visualization in a sensible, comprehensible, reproducible way.
Well, mission accomplished. The book is at once enormously readable, and sufficiently technically detailed as to make it easy to implement the principles introduced.

The book itself is also beautifully designed. The use of figures and margin notes give you a sense of being guided through the ideas rather than just being told what they are. I've had lots of fun going back to some of my own visualizations made with R and ggplot2 and improving them based on what I learned here.

I absolutely recommend this to beginners and experts alike. Healy gives you everything you'd need to know if you're starting from scratch, but in such a way as to not slow things down for the more experienced reader. For that reason, it would also make a great book for a course on applied use of R.
]]> <![CDATA[Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence]]> 34272565 How will Artificial Intelligence affect crime, war, justice, jobs, society and our very sense of being human? The rise of AI has the potential to transform our future more than any other technology--and there's nobody better qualified or situated to explore that future than Max Tegmark, an MIT professor who's helped mainstream research on how to keep AI beneficial.

How can we grow our prosperity through automation without leaving people lacking income or purpose? What career advice should we give today's kids? How can we make future AI systems more robust, so that they do what we want without crashing, malfunctioning or getting hacked? Should we fear an arms race in lethal autonomous weapons? Will machines eventually outsmart us at all tasks, replacing humans on the job market and perhaps altogether? Will AI help life flourish like never before or give us more power than we can handle?

What sort of future do you want? This book empowers you to join what may be the most important conversation of our time. It doesn't shy away from the full range of viewpoints or from the most controversial issues--from superintelligence to meaning, consciousness and the ultimate physical limits on life in the cosmos.]]> 384 Max Tegmark 0451485076 Mara 3 4.02 2017 Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
author: Max Tegmark
name: Mara
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2018/12/10
date added: 2018/12/10
shelves: 2018-reads, audiobooks, data-dev-and-design, non-fiction, science, tales-from-the-edge
review:

]]> <![CDATA[SVG Animations: From Common UX Implementations to Complex Responsive Animation]]> 30796736 225 Sarah Drasner 1491939702 Mara 5 4.20 SVG Animations: From Common UX Implementations to Complex Responsive Animation
author: Sarah Drasner
name: Mara
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2018/09/07
date added: 2018/09/07
shelves: 2018-reads, data-dev-and-design, lets-get-visual
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Computer Age Statistical Inference: Algorithms, Evidence, and Data Science (Institute of Mathematical Statistics Monographs, Series Number 5)]]> 30462852 495 Bradley Efron 1107149894 Mara 0 to-read, data-dev-and-design 4.45 2016 Computer Age Statistical Inference: Algorithms, Evidence, and Data Science (Institute of Mathematical Statistics Monographs, Series Number 5)
author: Bradley Efron
name: Mara
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/07/13
shelves: to-read, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Elements of Statistical Learning: Data Mining, Inference, and Prediction]]> 148009 552 Trevor Hastie 0387952845 Mara 5 data-dev-and-design 4.41 2001 The Elements of Statistical Learning: Data Mining, Inference, and Prediction
author: Trevor Hastie
name: Mara
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2018/07/13
shelves: data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs]]> 43713 657 Harold Abelson 0262510871 Mara 5 4.47 1984 Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
author: Harold Abelson
name: Mara
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1984
rating: 5
read at: 2018/04/15
date added: 2018/04/15
shelves: 2018-reads, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Producing Open Source Software: How to Run a Successful Free Software Project]]> 305248
The truth is, however, that the overwhelming majority of free software projects fail. To help you beat the odds, O'Reilly has put together Producing Open Source Software, a guide that recommends tried and true steps to help free software developers work together toward a common goal. Not just for developers who are considering starting their own free software project, this book will also help those who want to participate in the process at any level.

The book tackles this very complex topic by distilling it down into easily understandable parts. Starting with the basics of project management, it details specific tools used in free software projects, including version control, IRC, bug tracking, and Wikis. Author Karl Fogel, known for his work on CVS and Subversion, offers practical advice on how to set up and use a range of tools in combination with open mailing lists and archives. He also provides several chapters on the essentials of recruiting and motivating developers, as well as how to gain much-needed publicity for your project.

While managing a team of enthusiastic developers -- most of whom you've never even met -- can be challenging, it can also be fun. Producing Open Source Software takes this into account, too, as it speaks of the sheer pleasure to be had from working with a motivated team of free software developers.]]> 302 Karl Fogel 0596007590 Mara 4 3.78 2005 Producing Open Source Software: How to Run a Successful Free Software Project
author: Karl Fogel
name: Mara
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2018/04/02
date added: 2018/04/02
shelves: 2018-reads, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> Open Advice 13455725 308 Lydia Pintscher Mara 5 3.52 2012 Open Advice
author: Lydia Pintscher
name: Mara
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2018/02/10
date added: 2018/02/10
shelves: 2018-reads, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> The Design of Everyday Things 840 257 Donald A. Norman 0465067107 Mara 5 4.14 1988 The Design of Everyday Things
author: Donald A. Norman
name: Mara
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1988
rating: 5
read at: 2012/03/20
date added: 2017/09/10
shelves: non-fiction, data-dev-and-design, favorites, lets-get-visual
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Visualization Analysis and Design (AK Peters Visualization Series)]]> 24865145 428 Tamara Munzner 1466508930 Mara 5 4.00 2014 Visualization Analysis and Design (AK Peters Visualization Series)
author: Tamara Munzner
name: Mara
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2017/07/28
date added: 2017/08/16
shelves: 2017-reads, data-dev-and-design, lets-get-visual
review:

]]> <![CDATA[R for Data Science: Import, Tidy, Transform, Visualize, and Model Data]]> 33399049
Authors Hadley Wickham and Garrett Grolemund guide you through the steps of importing, wrangling, exploring, and modeling your data and communicating the results. You'll get a complete, big-picture understanding of the data science cycle, along with basic tools you need to manage the details. Each section of the book is paired with exercises to help you practice what you've learned along the way.

You'll learn how

Wrangle—transform your datasets into a form convenient for analysisProgram—learn powerful R tools for solving data problems with greater clarity and easeExplore—examine your data, generate hypotheses, and quickly test themModel—provide a low-dimensional summary that captures true "signals" in your datasetCommunicate—learn R Markdown for integrating prose, code, and results]]> 521 Hadley Wickham 1491910356 Mara 5 4.55 2016 R for Data Science: Import, Tidy, Transform, Visualize, and Model Data
author: Hadley Wickham
name: Mara
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2017/07/15
date added: 2017/07/15
shelves: 2017-reads, science, data-dev-and-design, lets-get-visual
review:

]]> Graphic Presentation 23393504 512 Willard Cope Brinton Mara 4 4.80 1939 Graphic Presentation
author: Willard Cope Brinton
name: Mara
average rating: 4.80
book published: 1939
rating: 4
read at: 2017/02/17
date added: 2017/02/17
shelves: data-dev-and-design, lets-get-visual, 2017-reads, recommended-to-me
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Data Journalism Handbook: How Journalists Can Use Data to Improve the News]]> 18602560 The Data Journalism Handbook, you’ll explore the potential, limits, and applied uses of this new and fascinating field.

This valuable handbook has attracted scores of contributors since the European Journalism Centre and the Open Knowledge Foundation launched the project at MozFest 2011. Through a collection of tips and techniques from leading journalists, professors, software developers, and data analysts, you’ll learn how data can be either the source of data journalism or a tool with which the story is told—or both.


Examine the use of data journalism at the BBC, the Chicago Tribune, the Guardian, and other news organizations
Explore in-depth case studies on elections, riots, school performance, and corruption
Learn how to find data from the Web, through freedom of information laws, and by "crowd sourcing"
Extract information from raw data with tips for working with numbers and statistics and using data visualization
Deliver data through infographics, news apps, open data platforms, and download links]]> 242 Jonathan Gray Mara 4 4.11 2012 The Data Journalism Handbook: How Journalists Can Use Data to Improve the News
author: Jonathan Gray
name: Mara
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2016/09/04
date added: 2017/01/07
shelves: 2016-reads, data-dev-and-design, lets-get-visual, non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Truthful Art, The: Data, Charts, and Maps for Communication (Voices That Matter)]]> 26401716 400 Alberto Cairo 0321934075 Mara 0 4.27 2016 Truthful Art, The: Data, Charts, and Maps for Communication (Voices That Matter)
author: Alberto Cairo
name: Mara
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/11/29
shelves: to-read, data-dev-and-design, lets-get-visual
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Functional Art: An introduction to information graphics and visualization (Voices That Matter)]]> 13705587
You’ll also get to peek into the creative process of some of the world’s most talented designers and visual journalists, including Condé Nast Traveler’s John Grimwade , National Geographic Magazine’s Fernando Baptista, The New York Times� Steve Duenes, The Washington Post’s Hannah Fairfield, Hans Rosling of the Gapminder Foundation, Stanford’s Geoff McGhee, and European superstars Moritz Stefaner, Jan Willem Tulp, Stefanie Posavec, and Gregor Aisch. The book also includes a DVD-ROM containing over 90 minutes of video lessons that expand on core concepts explained within the book and includes even more inspirational information graphics from the world’s leading designers.

The first book to offer a broad, hands-on introduction to information graphics and visualization, The Functional Art

� Why data visualization should be thought of as “functional art� rather than fine art
� How to use color, type, and other graphic tools to make your information graphics more effective, not just better looking
� The science of how our brains perceive and remember information
� Best practices for creating interactive information graphics
� A comprehensive look at the creative process behind successful information graphics
� An extensive gallery of inspirational work from the world’s top designers and visual artists

On the
In this introductory video course on information graphics, Alberto Cairo goes into greater detail with even more visual examples of how to create effective information graphics that function as practical tools for aiding perception. You’ll learn how incorporate basic design principles in your visualizations, create simple interfaces for interactive graphics, and choose the appropriate type of graphic forms for your data. Cairo also deconstructs successful information graphics from The New York Times and National Geographic magazine with sketches and images not shown in the book.]]> 384 Alberto Cairo 0321834739 Mara 0 4.20 2011 The Functional Art: An introduction to information graphics and visualization (Voices That Matter)
author: Alberto Cairo
name: Mara
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/11/29
shelves: to-read, data-dev-and-design, lets-get-visual
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age]]> 28504537
FromĚýtheĚý New York TimesĚý bestselling author ofĚý The Organized Mind ĚýandĚý This Is Your Brain on Music , aĚýprimer to the critical thinking that is more necessary now than everĚý

We are bombarded with more information each day than our brains can process—especially in election season. It's raining bad data, half-truths, and even outright lies.Ěý New York Times Ěýbestselling author Daniel J. LevitinĚýshows how to recognize misleading announcements, statistics, graphs, and written reports, revealing the ways lying weasels can use them.

It's becoming harder to separate the wheat from the digital chaff. How do we distinguish misinformation, pseudo-facts, and distortions from reliable information? Levitin groups his field guide into two categories—statistical information and faulty arguments—ultimately showing how science is the bedrock of critical thinking. Infoliteracy means understanding that there are hierarchies of source quality and bias that variously distort our information feeds via every media channel, including social media. We may expect newspapers, bloggers, the government, and Wikipedia to be factually and logically correct, but they so often aren't. We need to think critically about the words and numbers we encounter if we want to be successful at work, at play, and in making the most of our lives. This means checking the plausibility and reasoning—not passively accepting information, repeating it, and making decisions based on it. Readers learn to avoid the extremes of passive gullibility and cynical rejection. Levitin's charming, entertaining, accessible guide can help anyone wake up to a whole lot of things that aren't so. And catch some weasels in their tracks!Ěý


Ěý]]> 292 Daniel J. Levitin 0525955224 Mara 2 3.74 2016 A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age
author: Daniel J. Levitin
name: Mara
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2016/10/11
date added: 2016/10/13
shelves: 2016-reads, behavioral-economics, money-and-mind, non-fiction, psychology, data-dev-and-design, science
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Report Writing for Data Science in R]]> 28712925 120 Roger D. Peng Mara 5 3.77 2015 Report Writing for Data Science in R
author: Roger D. Peng
name: Mara
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2016/10/03
date added: 2016/10/03
shelves: data-dev-and-design, 2016-reads
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Data Smart: Using Data Science to Transform Information into Insight]]> 17682206
But how does one exactly do data science? Do you have to hire one of these priests of the dark arts, the "data scientist," to extract this gold from your data? Nope.

Data science is little more than using straight-forward steps to process raw data into actionable insight. And in Data Smart, author and data scientist John Foreman will show you how that's done within the familiar environment of a spreadsheet.

Why a spreadsheet? It's comfortable! You get to look at the data every step of the way, building confidence as you learn the tricks of the trade. Plus, spreadsheets are a vendor-neutral place to learn data science without the hype.

But don't let the Excel sheets fool you. This is a book for those serious about learning the analytic techniques, the math and the magic, behind big data.

Each chapter will cover a different technique in a spreadsheet so you can follow along:

- Mathematical optimization, including non-linear programming and genetic algorithms
- Clustering via k-means, spherical k-means, and graph modularity
- Data mining in graphs, such as outlier detection
- Supervised AI through logistic regression, ensemble models, and bag-of-words models
- Forecasting, seasonal adjustments, and prediction intervals through monte carlo simulation
- Moving from spreadsheets into the R programming language

You get your hands dirty as you work alongside John through each technique. But never fear, the topics are readily applicable and the author laces humor throughout. You'll even learn what a dead squirrel has to do with optimization modeling, which you no doubt are dying to know.

]]> 409 John W. Foreman 111866146X Mara 4 4.13 2013 Data Smart: Using Data Science to Transform Information into Insight
author: John W. Foreman
name: Mara
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2015/11/23
date added: 2016/03/04
shelves: 2015-reads, non-fiction, library-books, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sports Analytics: A Guide for Coaches, Managers, and Other Decision Makers]]> 17070574
There isn't a better representative of this emerging field to show diverse organizations how to implement analytics into their decision-making strategies, especially as analytic tools grow increasingly complex. Alamar provides a clear, easily digestible survey of the practice and a detailed understanding of analytics' vast possibilities. He explains how to evaluate different programs and put them to use. Using concrete examples from professional sports teams and case studies demonstrating the use and value of analytics in the field, Alamar designs a roadmap for managers, general managers, and other professionals as they build their own programs and teach their approach to others.]]> 152 Benjamin C. Alamar 0231162928 Mara 4 3.43 2013 Sports Analytics: A Guide for Coaches, Managers, and Other Decision Makers
author: Benjamin C. Alamar
name: Mara
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2016/03/04
date added: 2016/03/04
shelves: 2016-reads, data-dev-and-design, non-fiction, recommended-to-me, only-a-game
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won]]> 9379180
Drawing from Moskowitz's original research, as well as studies from fellow economists such as bestselling author Richard Thaler, the authors look the influence home-field advantage has on the outcomes of games in all sports and why it exists; the surprising truth about the universally accepted axiom that defense wins championships; the subtle biases that umpires exhibit in calling balls and strikes in key situations; the unintended consequences of referees' tendencies in every sport to "swallow the whistle," and more.

Among the insights that Scorecasting

In an engaging narrative that takes us from the putting greens of Augusta to the grid iron of a small parochial high school in Arkansas, Scorecasting will forever change how you view the game, whatever your favorite sport might be.]]> 255 Tobias J. Moskowitz 0307591794 Mara 4 3.81 2011 Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won
author: Tobias J. Moskowitz
name: Mara
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2015/10/13
date added: 2016/02/20
shelves: only-a-game, non-fiction, 2014-reads, behavioral-economics, library-books, 2015-reads, data-dev-and-design
review:
A sports-loving numbers nerd's dream! Real review to follow, but it would be cruel to deny this recommendation for those who fit the bill!
]]> <![CDATA[The Art of Data Science: A Guide for Anyone Who Works with Data]]> 26299386 154 Roger D. Peng Mara 5 3.73 2015 The Art of Data Science: A Guide for Anyone Who Works with Data
author: Roger D. Peng
name: Mara
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2015/11/30
date added: 2016/02/20
shelves: 2015-reads, science, data-dev-and-design, non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Basketball Analytics: Objective and Efficient Strategies for Understanding How Teams Win]]> 18837379 234 Stephen M. Shea 1492923176 Mara 4 4.10 2013 Basketball Analytics: Objective and Efficient Strategies for Understanding How Teams Win
author: Stephen M. Shea
name: Mara
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2016/01/25
date added: 2016/01/25
shelves: data-dev-and-design, non-fiction, only-a-game
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Data Points: Visualization That Means Something]]> 16234981 320 Nathan Yau 111846219X Mara 5 3.80 2013 Data Points: Visualization That Means Something
author: Nathan Yau
name: Mara
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2015/10/09
date added: 2016/01/04
shelves: data-dev-and-design, 2015-reads, lets-get-visual, non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail—But Some Don't]]> 13588394
Drawing on his own groundbreaking work, Silver examines the world of prediction, investigating how we can distinguish a true signal from a universe of noisy data. Most predictions fail, often at great cost to society, because most of us have a poor understanding of probability and uncertainty. Both experts and laypeople mistake more confident predictions for more accurate ones. But overconfidence is often the reason for failure. If our appreciation of uncertainty improves, our predictions can get better too. This is the "prediction paradox": The more humility we have about our ability to make predictions, the more successful we can be in planning for the future.

In keeping with his own aim to seek truth from data, Silver visits the most successful forecasters in a range of areas, from hurricanes to baseball, from the poker table to the stock market, from Capitol Hill to the NBA. He explains and evaluates how these forecasters think and what bonds they share. What lies behind their success? Are they good-or just lucky? What patterns have they unraveled? And are their forecasts really right? He explores unanticipated commonalities and exposes unexpected juxtapositions. And sometimes, it is not so much how good a prediction is in an absolute sense that matters but how good it is relative to the competition. In other cases, prediction is still a very rudimentary-and dangerous-science.

Silver observes that the most accurate forecasters tend to have a superior command of probability, and they tend to be both humble and hardworking. They distinguish the predictable from the unpredictable, and they notice a thousand little details that lead them closer to the truth. Because of their appreciation of probability, they can distinguish the signal from the noise.]]> 544 Nate Silver 159420411X Mara 5 3.95 2012 The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail—But Some Don't
author: Nate Silver
name: Mara
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2014/09/26
date added: 2015/06/21
shelves: only-a-game, non-fiction, behavioral-economics, 2014-reads, library-books, money-and-mind, science, 2015-reads, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Data Science at the Command Line]]> 22747725
Learn essential concepts and built-in commands of the *nix command line
Get started with your own Data Science Toolbox on either Linux, Mac OS X, or Microsoft Windows
Use classic command-line tools such as grep, sed, and awk
Obtain data from websites, APIs, databases, and spreadsheets
Parallelize and distribute data-intensive pipelines to remote machines, including AWS EC2
Clean data in CSV, JSON, and XML/HTML formats using csvkit, and jq, and scrape
Apply dimensionality reduction, clustering, regression, and classification algorithms
Visualize data and results from the command line using gnuplot and ggplot
Turn Bash one-liners and existing Python and R code into reusable command-line tools]]> 120 Jeroen Janssens 1491947780 Mara 4 4.08 2014 Data Science at the Command Line
author: Jeroen Janssens
name: Mara
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2015/05/20
date added: 2015/05/20
shelves: 2015-reads, data-dev-and-design, non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Interactive Data Visualization for the Web: An Introduction to Designing with D3]]> 16087610 270 Scott Murray 1449339735 Mara 3 data-dev-and-design 4.09 2013 Interactive Data Visualization for the Web: An Introduction to Designing with D3
author: Scott Murray
name: Mara
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2013/11/06
date added: 2013/11/06
shelves: data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Exploring Everyday Things with R and Ruby]]> 15748647
All you need is a basic understanding of programming. After a quick introduction to Ruby and R, you’ll explore a wide range of questions by learning how to assemble, process, simulate, and analyze the available data. You’ll learn to see everyday things in a different perspective through simple programs and common sense logic. Once you finish this book, you can begin your own journey of exploration and discovery.

Here are some of the questions you’ll explore:

Determine how many restroom stalls can accommodate an office with 70 employees
Mine your email to understand your particular emailing habits
Use simple audio and video recording devices to calculate your heart rate
Create an artificial society—and analyze its behavioral patterns to learn how specific factors affect our real society]]> 252 Sau Sheong Chang 1449315143 Mara 4 3.59 2012 Exploring Everyday Things with R and Ruby
author: Sau Sheong Chang
name: Mara
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2013/03/26
date added: 2013/10/17
shelves: data-dev-and-design, 2013-reads
review:

]]> How to Lie with Statistics 51291 142 Darrell Huff 0393310728 Mara 4 3.82 1954 How to Lie with Statistics
author: Darrell Huff
name: Mara
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1954
rating: 4
read at: 2013/05/26
date added: 2013/08/23
shelves: non-fiction, data-dev-and-design, only-a-game
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Cathedral & the Bazaar: Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary]]> 134825
The Cathedral & the Bazaar is a must for anyone who cares about the future of the computer industry or the dynamics of the information economy. Already, billions of dollars have been made and lost based on the ideas in this book. Its conclusions will be studied, debated, and implemented for years to come. According to Bob Young, "This is Eric Raymond's great contribution to the success of the open source revolution, to the adoption of Linux-based operating systems, and to the success of open source users and the companies that supply them."

The interest in open source software development has grown enormously in the past year. This revised and expanded paperback edition includes new material on open source developments in 1999 and 2000. Raymond's clear and effective writing style accurately describing the benefits of open source software has been key to its success. With major vendors creating acceptance for open source within companies, independent vendors will become the open source story in 2001.]]> 241 Eric S. Raymond 0596001088 Mara 0 3.82 1999 The Cathedral & the Bazaar: Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary
author: Eric S. Raymond
name: Mara
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at: 2013/05/26
date added: 2013/05/26
shelves: non-fiction, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> Regular Expressions Cookbook 6125777 510 Jan Goyvaerts 0596520689 Mara 0 4.05 2009 Regular Expressions Cookbook
author: Jan Goyvaerts
name: Mara
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/01/10
shelves: non-fiction, data-dev-and-design, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Designing with the Mind in Mind: Simple Guide to Understanding User Interface Design Rules]]> 8564020 201 0080963021 Mara 5 4.08 2010 Designing with the Mind in Mind: Simple Guide to Understanding User Interface Design Rules
author: Jeff Johnson
name: Mara
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2012/12/30
date added: 2012/12/30
shelves: data-dev-and-design, non-fiction, psychology
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in Java]]> 27845 576 Mark Allen Weiss 0321370139 Mara 0 data-dev-and-design, to-read 3.65 1998 Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in Java
author: Mark Allen Weiss
name: Mara
average rating: 3.65
book published: 1998
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/09/22
shelves: data-dev-and-design, to-read
review:

]]> Data Structure 11528499 112 NOT A BOOK 6132100776 Mara 4 4.30 2010 Data Structure
author: NOT A BOOK
name: Mara
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/09/22
shelves: non-fiction, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Test-Driven Development: By Example]]> 387190 216 Kent Beck 0321146530 Mara 5 4.10 2002 Test-Driven Development: By Example
author: Kent Beck
name: Mara
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/09/22
shelves: data-dev-and-design, non-fiction
review:
I just wish I had read this book sooner- great guide to TDD with practical, well-illustrated examples.
]]> <![CDATA[PHP in Action: Objects, Design, Agility]]> 179213 554 Dagfinn Reiersol 1932394753 Mara 4
Great resource for test-driven development]]> 3.80 2007 PHP in Action: Objects, Design, Agility
author: Dagfinn Reiersol
name: Mara
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/09/18
shelves: data-dev-and-design, non-fiction
review:


Great resource for test-driven development
]]> <![CDATA[Visualize This: The FlowingData Guide to Design, Visualization, and Statistics]]> 11054622 384 Nathan Yau 0470944889 Mara 4 3.88 2011 Visualize This: The FlowingData Guide to Design, Visualization, and Statistics
author: Nathan Yau
name: Mara
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2012/07/15
date added: 2012/07/15
shelves: data-dev-and-design, non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[MapReduce Design Patterns: Building Effective Algorithms and Analytics for Hadoop and Other Systems]]> 14514285
--Tom White, author of The Definitive Guide]]> 247 Donald Miner 1449327176 Mara 0 3.90 2012 MapReduce Design Patterns: Building Effective Algorithms and Analytics for Hadoop and Other Systems
author: Donald Miner
name: Mara
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/07/01
shelves: data-dev-and-design, non-fiction, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Business Intelligence (Strategic Management Collection)]]> 11553871 125 Jerzy Surma 1606491857 Mara 0 3.92 2011 Business Intelligence (Strategic Management Collection)
author: Jerzy Surma
name: Mara
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/07/01
shelves: data-dev-and-design, to-read, non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Programming Collective Intelligence: Building Smart Web 2.0 Applications]]> 1741472 Each chapter includes exercises for extending the algorithms to make them more powerful. Go beyond simple database-backed applications and put the wealth of Internet data to work for you.

"Bravo! I cannot think of a better way for a developer to first learn these algorithms and methods, nor can I think of a better way for me (an old AI dog) to reinvigorate my knowledge of the details."
-- Dan Russell, Google

"Toby's book does a great job of breaking down the complex subject matter of machine-learning algorithms into practical, easy-to-understand examples that can be directly applied to analysis of social interaction across the Web today. If I had this book two years ago, it would have saved precious time going down some fruitless paths."
-- Tim Wolters, CTO, Collective Intellect]]> 334 Toby Segaran 0596529325 Mara 0 4.08 2002 Programming Collective Intelligence: Building Smart Web 2.0 Applications
author: Toby Segaran
name: Mara
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/07/01
shelves: to-read, non-fiction, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Actionable Web Analytics: Using Data to Make Smart Business Decisions]]> 926600 288 Jason Burby 0470124741 Mara 0 3.50 2007 Actionable Web Analytics: Using Data to Make Smart Business Decisions
author: Jason Burby
name: Mara
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/07/01
shelves: data-dev-and-design, to-read, non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Google Analytics: Understanding Visitor Behavior]]> 8680038 216 Justin Cutroni 0596158009 Mara 4 3.73 2007 Google Analytics: Understanding Visitor Behavior
author: Justin Cutroni
name: Mara
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/07/01
shelves: non-fiction, data-dev-and-design
review:
Google Analytics can finally be unleashed once you've gone through this book- so much more than conversions and traffic- definitely worth reading if you're spending any time with GA at all!
]]> Version Control with Git 6548113
Git permits virtually an infinite variety of methods for development and collaboration. Created by Linus Torvalds to manage development of the Linux kernel, it's become the principal tool for distributed version control. But Git's flexibility also means that some users don't understand how to use it to their best advantage. Version Control with Git offers tutorials on the most effective ways to use it, as well as friendly yet rigorous advice to help you navigate Git's many functions.

With this book, you will: Git has earned the respect of developers around the world. Find out how you can benefit from this amazing tool with Version Control with Git .]]> 297 Jon Loeliger 0596520123 Mara 5 3.91 2009 Version Control with Git
author: Jon Loeliger
name: Mara
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/07/01
shelves: non-fiction, data-dev-and-design
review:
O'Reilly Media never fails to deliver- if you want to get Git- this is the way to go.
]]> <![CDATA[Visual Complexity: Mapping Patterns of Information]]> 10327296 272 Manuel Lima 1568989369 Mara 4 3.93 2011 Visual Complexity: Mapping Patterns of Information
author: Manuel Lima
name: Mara
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2012/06/26
date added: 2012/06/26
shelves: non-fiction, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Just My Type: A Book About Fonts]]> 10909804 384 Simon Garfield 1592406521 Mara 4 3.94 2010 Just My Type: A Book About Fonts
author: Simon Garfield
name: Mara
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2012/05/04
date added: 2012/06/08
shelves: non-fiction, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Universal Principles of Design]]> 130730 216 William Lidwell 1592530079 Mara 4
It's easy for design to get overwhelming- or maybe that's just me, but, in any event, this book is a fantastic resource to page through when you have what I think of as the opposite of designer's block. With so many innovations in programming, UX, design and information architecture coming out all of the time it's easy to lose a sense of how to make things just "feel right." This book is a great way to get back to the basics of semiotics and rediscover what intuitive, and usable really mean.

I agree that alphabetical may not be the best way to organize this kind of information-- if that's a deal-breaker for you check out 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know about People; but, given the illustrations and the physical structure of the book it's easy enough to breeze through and find those things you didn't even realize you were looking for. This makes a great short-hand companion to many of the principles described more extensively in , and, in my opinion, could even be a great coffee-table read...]]> 4.15 2003 Universal Principles of Design
author: William Lidwell
name: Mara
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/06/03
shelves: non-fiction, data-dev-and-design
review:
I go back to this book again and again whenever I feel stalled out.

It's easy for design to get overwhelming- or maybe that's just me, but, in any event, this book is a fantastic resource to page through when you have what I think of as the opposite of designer's block. With so many innovations in programming, UX, design and information architecture coming out all of the time it's easy to lose a sense of how to make things just "feel right." This book is a great way to get back to the basics of semiotics and rediscover what intuitive, and usable really mean.

I agree that alphabetical may not be the best way to organize this kind of information-- if that's a deal-breaker for you check out 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know about People; but, given the illustrations and the physical structure of the book it's easy enough to breeze through and find those things you didn't even realize you were looking for. This makes a great short-hand companion to many of the principles described more extensively in , and, in my opinion, could even be a great coffee-table read...
]]> Hadoop: The Definitive Guide 6308439 528 Tom White 0596521979 Mara 0 4.00 2009 Hadoop: The Definitive Guide
author: Tom White
name: Mara
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/05/04
shelves: non-fiction, to-read, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Visualizing Data: Exploring and Explaining Data with the Processing Environment]]> 2112788
How do the 3.1 billion A, C, G and T letters of the human genome compare to those of a chimp or a mouse? What do the paths that millions of visitors take through a web site look like? With Visualizing Data , you learn how to answer complex questions like these with thoroughly interactive displays. We're not talking about cookie-cutter charts and graphs. This book teaches you how to design entire interfaces around large, complex data sets with the help of a powerful new design and prototyping tool called "Processing".

Used by many researchers and companies to convey specific data in a clear and understandable manner, the Processing beta is available free. With this tool and Visualizing Data as a guide, you'll learn basic visualization principles, how to choose the right kind of display for your purposes, and how to provide interactive features that will bring users to your site over and over. This book teaches The book does not provide ready-made "visualizations" that can be plugged into any data set. Instead, with chapters divided by types of data rather than types of display, you'll learn how each visualization conveys the unique properties of the data it represents -- why the data was collected, what's interesting about it, and what stories it can tell. Visualizing Data teaches you how to answer questions, not simply display information.]]> 382 Ben Fry 0596514557 Mara 0 3.72 2007 Visualizing Data: Exploring and Explaining Data with the Processing Environment
author: Ben Fry
name: Mara
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2012/05/04
shelves: data-dev-and-design, to-read, non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 2nd Ed.]]> 17744 This is the second edition of The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. Recently published, this new edition provides excellent color reproductions of the many graphics of William Playfair, adds color to other images, and includes all the changes and corrections accumulated during 17 printings of the first edition.]]> 197 Edward R. Tufte 0961392142 Mara 5 4.39 1983 The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 2nd Ed.
author: Edward R. Tufte
name: Mara
average rating: 4.39
book published: 1983
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/05/04
shelves: data-dev-and-design, non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People]]> 10778139
Learn to increase the effectiveness, conversion rates, and usability of your own design projects by finding the answers to questions such as:

What grabs and holds attention on a page or screen?
What makes memories stick?
What is more important, peripheral or central vision?
How can you predict the types of errors that people will make?
What is the limit to someone's social circle?
How do you motivate people to continue on to (the next step?
What line length for text is best?
Are some fonts better than others? These are just a few of the questions that the book answers in its deep-dive exploration of what makes people tick.]]> 242 Susan M. Weinschenk 0321767535 Mara 4 4.09 2011 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People
author: Susan M. Weinschenk
name: Mara
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/05/04
shelves: non-fiction, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Information Architecture for the World Wide Web: Designing Large-Scale Web Sites]]> 70132
The new edition is thoroughly updated to address emerging technologies -- with recent examples, new scenarios, and information on best practices -- while maintaining its focus on fundamentals. With topics that range from aesthetics to mechanics, Information Architecture for the World Wide Web explains how to create interfaces that users can understand right away.

Inside, you'll find:

* An overview of information architecture for both newcomers and experienced practitioners
* The fundamental components of an architecture, illustrating the interconnected nature of these systems. Updated, with updates for tagging, folksonomies, social classification, and guided navigation
* Tools, techniques, and methods that take you from research to strategy and design to implementation. This edition discusses blueprints, wireframes and the role of diagrams in the design phase
* A series of short essays that provide practical tips and philosophical advice for those who work on information architecture
* The business context of practicing and promoting information architecture, including recent lessons on how to handle enterprise architecture
* Case studies on the evolution of two large and very different information architectures, illustrating best practices along the way
* How do you document the rich interfaces of web applications? How do you design for multiple platforms and mobile devices? With emphasis on goals and approaches over tactics or technologies, this enormously popular book gives you knowledge about information architecture with a framework that allows you to learn new approaches -- and unlearn outmoded ones.]]> 526 Peter Morville 0596527349 Mara 5 3.93 1998 Information Architecture for the World Wide Web: Designing Large-Scale Web Sites
author: Peter Morville
name: Mara
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1998
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/05/04
shelves: non-fiction, data-dev-and-design
review:

]]>