Now Reading: Dark Data

Posted on by jrogel

Now Reading: Dark Data by David Hand

I first came across a mention of this book in the Summer 2020 number of Imperial, the magazine for the Imperial College Community in a feature note about the book.

It sounded like an interesting read and I had a look for the Princeton University Press book and to my surprise I found an version in Italian published by Rizzoli a few months earlier… I wonder how that worked out. It was cheaper and I was tempted to give it a go in Italian with the name Il tradimento dei numeri (i.e. “The betrayal of the numbers”…). I wonder what hidden story is behind all this…

In the end I decided to go for the English version… Let’s see how it goes.

David Hand is emeritus professor of mathematics at Imperial College London, a former president of the Royal Statistical Society, and a Fellow of the British Academy.

There is a website dedicated to the book: https://darkdata.website

Now Reading: Getting Things Done

Posted on by jrogel

Now reading: Getting Things Done by David Allen

Let’s see how many things I am already doing “right”… :)

OK… still going through this. I am finding hard to get through it… not because it is difficult or the actions are hard per se. However, the book was written for paper-based offices and physical files including Filofaxes, diaries and things that back in the day were useful (and I bet for some still are).

In my case, I find that the physical paper trail is no longer suitable (or desirable). I should check if there is an updated version for the 21st century! :)

Having said that, the tips and ideas are good, you may just have to adapt them for you and perhaps the lack of PA!!! Lol

Advanced Data Science and Analytics with Python is published

Posted on by jrogel
Screenshot

It is official! “Advanced Data Science and Analytics with Python” is published!

According to the information I had received from CRC Press, my publisher, the book would be available on May 7th. According to the official page of the book the volume was available since May 5th.

So if you have already preorder, your copies may be on their way soon. If not, you can definitely get your copy either with CRC Press, or Amazon.

Looking forward to hearing what you think of the book.

Now Reading: Attention All Shipping

Posted on by jrogel

Well, it is not quite correct to say that now I am reading “Attention All Shipping” by Charlie Connelly, in fact I am finishing reading this book. It has taken a while and this is perhaps one of the few actual physical books I’ve read in recent times. It took a while as I was reading it slowly and spontaneously as my encounters with the wonderful Shipping Forecast at the BBC have been. 

I find the forecast to be of a soothing quality and a mysterious air, with the mentions of hypnotic combinations of names and numbers together with calm as well as furious adjectives. Take a look at some examples from today:

  • Viking Cyclonic 4 or 5, becoming northeasterly 5 to 6.
  • Forth West or northwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 or 7, perhaps gale 8 later. Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later.
  • Rockall In south, westerly 5 or 6, backing southwesterly 4 or 5 later. In north, variable 4 in west, otherwise northwesterly 5. In south, moderate, occasionally rough at first. in north, moderate. In south, rain at times. In north, showers.
    In south, good, occasionally poor. In north, good.

Brilliant!

The Shipping Forecast Areas

The book covers the travels of the author across the different areas covered by the Shipping Forecast. It is an interesting read and I enjoyed the descriptions of the very different places that make up this wonderful broadcast, first started by Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy  in February 1861 as a warning service for shipping, using telegraph communications. 

Listen to the Shipping Forecast, and join Charlie in his adventure!

“Data Science and Analytics with Python” is published

Posted on by jrogel

Very pleased to see that finally the publication of my “Data Science and Analytics with Python” book has arrived.

You can get your copy here:

Furthermore you can see my Author profile here.

Final version of “Data Science and Analytics with Python” approved

Posted on by jrogel

It has been a long road, one filled with unicorns and Jackalopes, decision trees and random forests, variance and bias, cats and dogs, and targets and features.

Well over a year ago, the idea of writing another book seemed like a farfetched proposition. Writing the book came about from the work that I have been doing in the area as well as from discussions with my colleagues and students, including also practitioners and beneficiaries of data science and analytics.

It is my sincere hope that the book is useful to those coming afresh to this new field as well as to those more seasoned data scientists.

This afternoon I had the pleasure of approving the final version of the book that will be sent to the printers in the next few days.

Once the book is available you can get a copy directly with CRC Press or from Amazon.

Enjoy!

-j