Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Nice Book
This is a very nice book with a ton of history.I only wish it had more on how to get there and what to expect.Guess I'll need to augment with another book...

Still one of the best for Colorado Rockies ghosts

If there's a better book on the ghost towns and mining camps of Colorado, I don't know about it. Eberhart's book is massive (almost 500 pages), detailed, and informative. It covers all the mountainous regions of the state where gold was mined by sections; all the towns/camps in each section are listed and described (many in great detail), and fairly precise sketch maps locating all the sites are included. The book also contains many excellent photographs. This is the 4th edition, last updated in 1969; a new edition would be worth consideringsince much of what is described as being visible to the visitor at many sites may no longer be there (thanks to fires, severe weather, vandalism, etc.); a lot can change in 35 years. But in terms of locating ghost towns and camps and learning what they were all about, this book can't be beat. It's an excellent guide.

It's really good!
I really like this book. It's got neat pictures and easy to read format.I highly recommend it. Buy this book NOW! ... Read more

Product Description
Making obscure knowledge about matrix decompositions widely available, Understanding Complex Datasets: Data Mining with Matrix Decompositions discusses the most common matrix decompositions and shows how they can be used to analyze large datasets in a broad range of application areas. Without having to understand every mathematical detail, the book helps you determine which matrix is appropriate for your dataset and what the results mean.

Explaining the effectiveness of matrices as data analysis tools, the book illustrates the ability of matrix decompositions to provide more powerful analyses and to produce cleaner data than more mainstream techniques. The author explores the deep connections between matrix decompositions and structures within graphs, relating the PageRank algorithm of Google's search engine to singular value decomposition. He also covers dimensionality reduction, collaborative filtering, clustering, and spectral analysis. With numerous figures and examples, the book shows how matrix decompositions can be used to find documents on the Internet, look for deeply buried mineral deposits without drilling, explore the structure of proteins, detect suspicious emails or cell phone calls, and more.

Concentrating on data mining mechanics and applications, this resource helps you model large, complex datasets and investigate connections between standard data mining techniques and matrix decompositions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Comprehensive and well-written!
I am doing research in data mining using tensor decompositions, and was very impressed by this book. It not only covers all of the important matrix and tensor decompositions, but also methods for computing them (with Matlab code!), the computational complexity of these methods, the tradeoffs and scenarios associated with each decomposition, and potential areas of application. To top it all off, the book is written in a highly approachable manner, covering the general concept of a decomposition and gradually discussing the specific decompositions from simplest to most complex. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

Data Preparation for Data Mining addresses an issue unfortunately ignored by most authorities on data mining: data preparation. Thanks largely to its perceived difficulty, data preparation has traditionally taken a backseat to the more alluring question of how best to extract meaningful knowledge. But without adequate preparation of your data, the return on the resources invested in mining is certain to be disappointing.

Dorian Pyle corrects this imbalance. A twenty-five-year veteran of what has become the data mining industry, Pyle shares his own successful data preparation methodology, offering both a conceptual overview for managers and complete technical details for IT professionals. Apply his techniques and watch your mining efforts pay off-in the form of improved performance, reduced distortion, and more valuable results.

On the enclosed CD-ROM, you'll find a suite of programs as C source code and compiled into a command-line-driven toolkit. This code illustrates how the author's techniques can be applied to arrive at an automated preparation solution that works for you. Also included are demonstration versions of three commercial products that help with data preparation, along with sample data with which you can practice and experiment.

* Offers in-depth coverage of an essential but largely ignored subject.
* Goes far beyond theory, leading you-step by step-through the author's own data preparation techniques.
* Provides practical illustrations of the author's methodology using realistic sample data sets.
* Includes algorithms you can apply directly to your own project, along with instructions for understanding when automation is possible and when greater intervention is required.
* Explains how to identify and correct data problems that may be present in your application.
* Prepares miners, helping them head into preparation with a better understanding of data sets and their limitations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Wrong Audience
I have a great deal of experience preparing data for analysis.I was looking for a book that would add to my understanding of and enhance my organization for data preparation.This is not that book.At best, the book provides insight into the types of issues faced in preparing data and emphasizes the value of such.Rather than criticize, I wish to foreworn those who have already practiced at a somewhat rigorous level (more than five semesters of statistics/data mining) that this might not be what you are seeking.

Great Book
As the old saying goes, Garbage In, Garbage Out (GIGO)."Data Preparation for Data Mining" is the remedy for this pervasive, age-old problem.There are so many different aspects to data quality, it boggles the mind.Mr. Pyle addresses each one in detail, with clear examples and explanations.

The book is well-written and more importantly, understandable.It should be required reading for every researcher and modeler BEFORE they begin their careers.The way data is prepared and aggregated determines the picture one gets from the data.It must be done correctly from the start, or all downstream processing and conclusions are suspect.

The CD that comes with the book is pretty much useless, but aside from that caveat, this is a great book.Buy it - you won't be disappointed.

Still very much worth reading in 2007
I have been helping folks learn Clementine - a data mining package - for several years. I have read a number of related books, but never got to this one until recently. That was a mistake. This may be an important book for you if you are new to Data Mining, even if, especially if, you already have expertise in statistics and/or data base technology.

Although I still believe if someone is brand new to the field that they begin with Data Mining Techniques: For Marketing, Sales, and Customer Relationship Management, this should be the second book that they read. Far too many books in this area read like statistics books (notably Data Mining Methods and Models).

Statistics training can be of enormous benefit to data miners, but leads to certain predictable errors. Not only that, many data miners already have statistics training and that just compounds the likelihood that they will make these mistakes when the book author fails to show the difference clearly. Pyle performs consistently well in this regard. He consistently focuses on the kinds of problems data miners are likely to see in their work.

To give just a couple of examples: Few variables will be already stored as continuous, normally distributed variables; principle components analysis might sometimes be a problematic way to eliminate predictors and even be dangerous; missing versus "empty" data; constantly present non-linearity.

His practice data set has a real variety of variable types, and dozens of predictors. If you are figuring out if Data Mining can help you, start with the Berry/Linoff book. But .. if you are about to begin in earnest read this book. Then, time permitting; start reading specific books on modeling or software. For instance, another Larose book has good, detailed coverage of algorithms, and some information on Clementine. Discovering Knowledge in Data: An Introduction to Data Mining

The best book on this subject
There are more books available now on data mining preparation but Pyle's book is the best one :
- very clear
- covering all the important topics to need to learn about
- based on many examples and advices coming from real life
To buy absolutely

Excellent book
I started to work in Data Mining about 7 years ago. I have read many books about this subject and nearly all of them have similar approaches and stress the importance of the data preparation but they all, except one, just discuss lightly this subject. I don't know any book that deal with data preparation as Pyle's book does. Each topic is discussed in-depth. This is a very clear and enjoyable book. I have tested all concepts and the results are amazing.

Chapter 11 introduces the Data Survey topic in which techniques based in Shannon's Information Theory are showed. These information theory approaches are simply wonderful and gives to the Data Mining subject the bases to get models that extract complete relevant information from the data.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to work seriously with Data Mining. ... Read more

Product Description
Mining Group Gold is a book on leadership. It explores the process of managing people and ideas to achieve a high level of results in a complex, turbulent global economy. This book is a practical, easy to use guide to building and maintaining collaboration within and across teams.

Includes:

• Five steps for planning and conducting a successful group session
• Suggestions for dealing with feelings and emotions, as well as conflict and confusion, during a session

Options for enhancing the productivity of the middle of a meeting ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Golden Ideas for Mining Gold from Your Groups
This is really as much a book about effective leadership and management as it is about group facilitation. Solidly grounded in the author's experience at Xerox, it teaches everything needed to make your group sessions far more effective than it currently is. It also includes guidesheets, tables and surveys that you will find useful in planning, facilitating and evaluating your sessions.

Mining Group Gold
I read Tom Kayser's book in the early 1990's when it was originally written for Xerox.The new edition is a fine adaptation.The book has been immensely helpful to me as a facilitator.It gives great instructions to a new and experienced group leader.

Mr. Kayser understands group dynamics.By reading and more importantly, following his "recipes", you will find that meetings are both more efficient and effective.

Treasure Trove of Productivity
One of the most valuable lessons I learned in my brief time as a researcher at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center was that meetings need not be unending wastes of times. When I first noticed this and asked how itwas possible that so much always seemed to get done, no mater who wasinvolved, I was given a copy of the Tom Kayser book "Mining GroupGold".

What a wonderful and unexpected surprise reading it was!Although concrete steps are given to guide people into getting the most outof working together and, more important, thinking together, its basic valuecomes from the way it enables folks to remain themselves - only do a betterjob of it.

Since leaving Xerox three years ago to be a consultant forMicrosoft, General Electric and Sun Microsystems, I've given numerouscopies to new cohorts so as to make life easier and the flow of work moreefficient for all.

Tap the Mother Lode of Collaborative Cranial Creativity
Thomas A. Kayser has set forth a systematic means for gaining the maximum benefit from meetings.

Starting with John Kenneth Gailbraith's infamous attribilious amphigory: "Meetings are vital to those who want to makesure nothing happens" Kayser leads the reader through the labyrinth oftraditional meeting quagmires and enables everyone to profit from combiningtheir brain power optimally.

In practical, no-nonsense terms, nothing isleft to chance. Those who practice the lessons will reap the immediate andcontinued rewards from the old axiom of time being money!

most important book about making teams effective available
I have used what I learned by reading Mining Group Gold in a wide variety of consulting and operational settings over the past three years: with multi-functional teams in a medium sized data communications hightechnology company and a start-up software development company, with theboard of directors of a subsidized housing agency, with teachers andadministrators at a primary school, with groups of principals responsiblefor implementing new curriculum in their schools, and with senioradministrators at a leading geriatric care facility.

I speak fromexperience, then, in stating that Mining Group Gold is straight-forward,intuitively sound technology which can have profound effect on the style offacilitators in carrying out their difficult roles, and on ALL members of ateam, a work group, (or even a board of directors!) to increase their senseof ownership, and their commitment to outcomes.

It's an easy read, and Irecommend it as the best available resource in my experience for creatingand continually improving meeting effectiveness. ... Read more

Product Description
Writers and historians have traditionally portrayed Chinese immigrants in the nineteenth-century American West as victims. By investigating the early history of Idaho’s Boise Basin, Liping Zhu challenges this image and offers an alternative discourse to the study of this ethnic minority.

Between 1863 and 1910, a large number of Chinese immigrants resided in the Boise Basin to search for gold. As in many Rocky Mountain mining camps, they comprised a majority of the population. Unlike settlers in many other boom-and-bust western mining towns, the Chinese in the Boise Basin managed to stay there for more than half a century.

Thus, the Chinese portrayed all the stereotypical frontier roles-victors, victims, and villains. Their basic material needs were guaranteed, and many individuals were able to climb up the economic ladder. Frontier justice was used to settle disputes; Chinese-Americans frequently challenged white opponents in the various courts as well as in gun battles.

Interesting and provocative, A Chinaman’s Chance not only offers general readers a narrative account of the Rocky Mountain mining frontier, but also introduces a fresh interpretation of the Chinese experience in nineteenth-century America to scholars interested in Asian American studies, immigration history, and ethnicity in the American West. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

This book will open your eyes!!!
I strongly recommend this book.It is about time that someone wrote a book about the virtues of the Chinese people living in the western U.S. during the 19th century.Most similar books concentrate on the discrimination and other injustices done to the Chinese workers who worked on the railroads, for example.

"A Chinaman's Chance," however, focuses on the positive Chinese experiences.Did you know that the Chinese had superior eating habits and work ethics?Hidong Sidong was the first Chinese man to lead an asian hiking expedition in the 19th century.Did you know that?Do you know who invented Rocky Mountain oyster stew?

I strongly recommend this book.

An innovative, pathbreaking work on the Chinese in America.
Recent scholars have begun to examine the impact of the ethnic experience in the American West unlike ever before.Most have concluded that ethnic immigrants have had little opportunity for advancement in the UnitedStates.Professor Zhu counters this arguement with his pathbreaking work,A CHINAMAN'S CHANCE, THE CHINESE ON THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN MINING FRONTIER. Rather than depicting the Chinese as helpless victims, unable to fend forthemselves in a new land, the author demonstrates that not all immigrantsallowed themselves to be victims.Using the American legal system, armedopposition, frugal economy, a superior diet, and adaptation to theenvironment, the Chinese of the Boise Basin, Idaho displayed a resilencyhardly matched by European immigrants and even American migrants to theRocky Mountain West.

This study is a must-read for students of theAmerican West and Frontier and those interested in ethnic history inVictorian American.His research is impeccable, his writing witty, and hiscommitment to telling a real, even compelling story is unprecedented inethnic history.

A CHINAMAN'S CHANCE is outstanding history!

New interpretation
A well researched and written book. I used to live in Idaho and heard of a lot of stories about the Chinese experience in the area. But this book gives me new imformation. We do have to pay more attention to positiveaspects of ethnic minorities. I enjoy reading this book.

This book is about the exception to the rule.
This is a clearly-written and well-researched case study about nineteenth-century Chinese immigrants who come to Idaho in search of mineral wealth. Rather than focus on racial discrimination and violence,Professor Zhu makes the case that while there were problems, there werealso opportunities.In telling this neglected story of success andachievement, the author reveals a more complicated picture of the Chineseexperience on the western frontier.

Not impressed.
Lacks something.Disconnected anecdotes and stories.Doesn't present a whole picture of what went on here.I don't agree with some of the conclusions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

A wealth of information
The depth and breadth of this guide are downright impressive. The author obviously spent a lot of time exploring Death Valley and this book is one of the most comprehensive guides I have seen to this or any other area. Highly recommended.

Another big thumbs up for this one!
I just wanted to add another 5 star vote for this book: my wife and I spent a week in Death Valley at the beginning of April and this guide was invaluable!

The ultimate guide to Death Valley
While the focus of this book is on hiking, there is so much information on the history, geology, flora and fauna of the region that this served as the primary information source during our visit to Death Valley.Our only regret is that we didn't have far more time to explore.Fortunately, Digonnet's writing style is engaging and lucid enough to allow us to vicariously see areas that we didn't have time to physically visit.

The book eschews several popular road accessible visitor destinations.Most of the roads in the area are treated simply as access routes to the hikes even though there is much to be seen, especially along the 4WD routes.This is not to be taken as a criticism of the author.It simply is not Digonnet's focus.

The book is over 500 pages long.If you are planning your first visit to Death Valley, you would be best served by reading "Part I. A Few Basic Facts" plus the introductions to the remaining eight Parts.With this information you will be able to choose where to begin your exploration.With that settled, read the balance of the Part that covers you selected region and narrow down the trails that you want to travel.Unless you have months of time you will only scratch the surface in one visit.

Wonderful Book!
I have just returned from Death Valley and this book was an excellent resource both before and during my trip.I found the author to be very straight forward about the information presented and very realistic about the wonders and realities of Death Valley.It's a truly amazing place and this book covers an incredible amount of information and detail that will serve me for years to come and many more visits!

Great travel resource
This book is a great resource tool. A fairly inclusive area guide with historical, geological and physical details. More than adequate for most visitors to choose an advanced plan of daily activities. It is not attempting to be a USGS map nor a hikers bible. It is a fairly descriptive summary of things to see, do and where they are.

I purchased this book for helping us plan a 5 day stay in Stove Pipe Wells. Well worth the money spent. ... Read more

Product Description
A practical, step-by-step approach to making sense out of data

Making Sense of Data educates readers on the steps and issues that need to be considered in order to successfully complete a data analysis or data mining project. The author provides clear explanations that guide the reader to make timely and accurate decisions from data in almost every field of study. A step-by-step approach aids professionals in carefully analyzing data and implementing results, leading to the development of smarter business decisions. With a comprehensive collection of methods from both data analysis and data mining disciplines, this book successfully describes the issues that need to be considered, the steps that need to be taken, and appropriately treats technical topics to accomplish effective decision making from data.

Readers are given a solid foundation in the procedures associated with complex data analysis or data mining projects and are provided with concrete discussions of the most universal tasks and technical solutions related to the analysis of data, including:
* Problem definitions
* Data preparation
* Data visualization
* Data mining
* Statistics
* Grouping methods
* Predictive modeling
* Deployment issues and applications

Throughout the book, the author examines why these multiple approaches are needed and how these methods will solve different problems. Processes, along with methods, are carefully and meticulously outlined for use in any data analysis or data mining project.

From summarizing and interpreting data, to identifying non-trivial facts, patterns, and relationships in the data, to making predictions from the data, Making Sense of Data addresses the many issues that need to be considered as well as the steps that need to be taken to master data analysis and mining. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Hands on Introduction to Data Mining building from strong foundations
This book starts with a couple of sample datasets and starts presenting simple statistical
measurements and tools (starting from mean to standard deviation to z-score and from scatterplots
to multiple graphs).

It then presents tool after tool for making sense of data - each time crisply presenting the goal
of the tool and showing it hands-onon sample datasets, both in tables, summaries and graphs and visuals.
THE GREATEST STRENGTH OF THIS BOOK IS THAT THE AUTHOR WORKS OUT EVERY ALGORITHM AND TECHNIQUE BY HAND
ON AN EXAMPLE. The value of this exercise is awesome.

It then shows the more complicated tools leading to advanced clustering, prediction and data mining.

Complete, concise and example driven - make it is an outstanding book for those who prefer a worked out
example first instead of mathematical formulation, which can come later.

A master teaches essence, goes an old saying. A master loves the subject so much and has mastered so much
detail of it over time, but seeks to simplify and sees complex ideas as built over few core basics,
such that, when he teaches he naturally orders from simple to complex, puts a path
that builds on what came before, and each time teaches through examples that students can immediately get.

Amazing book that drills you the fundamental ideas of the field through interaction with examples.
Flows very well. No fluff.

I do not know if it 'sufficient' for a college course. I can say it is a must for anyone who
wants to understand the tools quickly and be confident of mastering them. If a college student, or a
small business owner or any analyst or a business analyst or a dba wants to understand data,
this is a great place to start gathering the tools and a place to return to when confused
by complexity, to anchor yourself back to the core understanding.

Good Overview of Data Mining and Analysis
This book is a relatively good survey of the main issues and concepts involved in data mining and analysis. It covers a wide breadth of material and does so in a fluid way, but I do have one gripe with it. The problem I have with this book is the level of detail on some subjects. I would say that this book is written for someone of an advanced undergraduate level to understand the concepts involved in data mining, even though someone with that degree would not have a serious position doing data mining. This perplexes me somewhat, because I somehow expected slightly more rigor in the way topics were covered in a data mining book. Not to the level of a math stat book, clearly, but still.

In summary, there's a lot here about how data mining is done, but not a lot about how to mine data. Perhaps I expected the wrong things, or perhaps I expected too much, but that's my initial take on the book. If you're looking for depth and detail you won't find it here, but if you want a thorough introduction to data mining, and I do mean only an introduction, this text definitely will serve you well.

Again, don't misunderstand, this text definitely has it's value. It gives you a lot of information about the basics of data mining under a variety of circumstances (variable types, for example ordinal vs. nominal vs. ratio and so forth) and how to approach the analysis in each case. It mainly centers on the univariate case and seems to only touch briefly on multivariate models (which, in practice, are usually the norm).

As stated, for an introduction to the process, concepts and main issue of data mining and predictive modeling, this text is absolutely fine. I just think it needs to be made more clear what the target audience is for this text. I'm not saying I was disappointed, because there is much to learn in this book even for the practicing statistician, but I would argue that I expected more, based on the description.

Even so, 4 stars for the good quality of the writing, the breadth of coverage and the layout of the book. This should be required reading for those entering (or thinking about entering) the field of quantitative analysis and modeling.

... Read more

Product Description
An introductory text and reference on mining engineering highlighting the latest in mining technology
Introductory Mining Engineering outlines the role of the mining engineer throughout the life of a mine, including prospecting for the deposit, determining the site's value, developing the mine, extracting the mineral values, and reclaiming the land afterward. This Second Edition is written with a focus on sustainability-managing land to meet the economic and environmental needs of the present while enhancing its ability to also meet the needs of future generations. Coverage includes aboveground and underground methods of mining for a wide range of substances, including metals, nonmetals, and fuels.
Completely up to date, this book presents the latest information on such technologies as remote sensing, GPS, geophysical surveying, and mineral deposit evaluation, as well as continuous integrated mining operations and autonomous trucks. Also included is new information on landscape restoration, regional planning, wetlands protection, subsidence mitigation, and much more.
New chapters include coverage of:
* Environmental responsibilities
* Regulations
* Health and safety issues
Generously supplemented with more than 200 photographs, drawings, and tables, Introductory Mining Engineering, Second Edition is an indispensable book for mining engineering students and a comprehensive reference for professionals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

BARGAIN
I originally ordered this book over the SME website. However after doing so, I looked for the book on amazon and found it way cheaper.So I canceled the SME order and bought from Amazon.It's the same book and everything and was received via shipping in reasonable time as well. Great Bargain!

mining engineering
I purchased this book for a class. It is very informative. The way they explain things can be annoying at times. There are lots of references in the middle of paragraphs that are unecessary. There are also many times where they say "go to this book to find out about this subject". It's good if you actually want to go look for other books, but annoying if you are just reading this one. The graphs and pictures are very helpful. Overall this book explains the concepts well. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Apply powerful Data Mining Methods and Models to Leverage your Data for Actionable Results

Data Mining Methods and Models provides:
* The latest techniques for uncovering hidden nuggets of information
* The insight into how the data mining algorithms actually work
* The hands-on experience of performing data mining on large data sets

Data Mining Methods and Models:
* Applies a "white box" methodology, emphasizing an understanding of the model structures underlying the softwareWalks the reader through the various algorithms and provides examples of the operation of the algorithms on actual large data sets, including a detailed case study, "Modeling Response to Direct-Mail Marketing"
* Tests the reader's level of understanding of the concepts and methodologies, with over 110 chapter exercises
* Demonstrates the Clementine data mining software suite, WEKA open source data mining software, SPSS statistical software, and Minitab statistical software
* Includes a companion Web site, www.dataminingconsultant.com, where the data sets used in the book may be downloaded, along with a comprehensive set of data mining resources. Faculty adopters of the book have access to an array of helpful resources, including solutions to all exercises, a PowerPoint(r) presentation of each chapter, sample data mining course projects and accompanying data sets, and multiple-choice chapter quizzes.

With its emphasis on learning by doing, this is an excellent textbook for students in business, computer science, and statistics, as well as a problem-solving reference for data analysts and professionals in the field.

An Instructor's Manual presenting detailed solutions to all the problems in the book is available onlne. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Strong on Statistics, Weaker on Data Mining
This book is part of a Data Mining three bookseries. The first book is the strongest of the three, and should be considered first. My advice on this book is that if you 1) have a dozen or more related books, and 2) you have already worked on at least one or two data mining projects, you should buy this book. It has enough good material to add it to your collection. If you are new to data mining you should look elsewhere.

The other two books are: Discovering Knowledge in Data: An Introduction to Data Mining and Data Mining the Web: Uncovering Patterns in Web Content, Structure, and Usage.

Methods and Models can be divided into three parts. The first part is a very strong 200 page review of traditional statistical techniques, specifically PCA/Factor Analysis, Multiple Regression, and Logistic Regression. These techniques absolutely belong in the Data Miners toolkit, but on most projects won't be as important as Decision Trees (covered in the first book). However, these are classical techniques, and the typical reader may have a lot of training or/and books on this material already. Having said that, this material is extremely well written. So if you are looking for a great review of these techniques you can do much worse. If you are looking for a discussion of how the application of these techniques to data mining differs from their application to statistics, you will be disappointed.

The second part of the book is the most helpful to me. It comprises of one chapter on Bayesian Networks and another on Genetic Algorithms. As always, the writing is clear, and to owners of SPSS Clementine 12.0, this section is of special interest because Bayesian Networks have just been added to Clementine. Methods and Models pre-dates the release of Clem 12.0, so it does not refer to it.

The third part of the book is a 50 page case study using the CRISP-DM methodology. This is a welcome addition, but is flawed in its execution. There are moments of brilliance: an application of over-balancing, a voting model, and tables showing several variations of models with their accuracies. Then ... the inevitable appearance in this book series of linear transformations and factor analysis as precursors to techniques that either do them automatically in Clementine, or are unneeded altogether. The veteran will know when to ignore this book, and when to pay attention- the novice might not.

In short, you should consider the first book, or both as a pair to add to a veteran data miner's collection. Only the rare reader should buy this book alone, and never as their first and only data mining book. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: London, C. Griffin ... Read more

Product Description
Introduces business and technical managers to the exciting new frontier in database technology
Web sites gather a lot of detailed information about customers. Unfortunately, most companies lack the means to use that information to improve their marketing and customer support functions. Considered by most experts to be the new frontier in the database and data warehousing fields, Web mining solves that problem. Coauthored by two bestselling data mining authors, Mining the Web explains, for corporate decision makers, IT managers, and database marketers, how data mining principles and techniques can be applied to various types of Web sites. More importantly, they describe techniques for using the resulting goldmine of business data to develop more effective advertising campaigns and better customer service. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Comprehensive book about web mining, although not technical
Since I started a new project on behavioral targeting in online advertising, I decided to buy Linoff and Berry's book: Mining the Web (Transforming Customer Data into Customer Value).

The book starts by briefly explaining data mining with a marketing point of view. The next chapter describes the three different approaches to mining the web: mining structure, mining usage patterns and mining content. In my case, I was mostly interested by mining usage patterns, for example web logs. The following chapters are very general and give an overview of online retailing, digital content, advertising, customer value, customer tracking, etc. One good point of the book is that it contains several short industry case studies. Although not technical, they help understand how things work in big industrial projects.

To conclude, Mining the Web is an interesting introduction for people interested in applying data mining techniques to the web. Altough this book answers the "what" question, it doesn't answer the "how". Since it is a non-technical book, you will definitely need other resources for a deeper understanding of the field. The advantage is that the book is easy and pleasant to read from the beginning to the end. If you are interested by the field, you should also consult Jesus Mena's book: Data Mining Your Website (although a little older).

Mining the Web
I found this book to be most helpful and thorough, I was immediately inspired to practice these useful tips and easy to intuit instructions.

I continue to use it for reference as a resource manual. I highly encourage anyone just getting interested in the concept of data mining, anyone in sales, marketing, public relations, and analytics to start with this book first. After reading this book you will have a strong foundation into data mining applications and a vivid sense of direction on how to make it work for you personally!!!!

Cutting Through the Hype
We're just starting to look at mining the clickstream, and this is the first book I've found that cuts through the hype and really comes clean on what works and doesn't work.Good, solid techincal information, but better is their coverage of business issues.I love all of the detailed cases.Greatjob!

Another winner from a great team
I own Berry and Linoff's first two books on data mining (Data Mining Techniques and Mastering Data Mining); they're the best, and this book lives up to their standards.All three are great for not just teaching the technical stuff, but how and when to apply it to solve problems I really face at my company. ... Read more

Product Description
Do you think that life happens to you from theoutside in? Think again! Robin Robertson says that we are born ascomplex repositories of memories and behaviors. Some things welearn by rote from our environment, but other parts ofourselves the important things we know in our inner soul beforewe "know" them in our conscious mind are awaiting for various"triggers" to release them from the silence. Introduction.Bibliography. Index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A United Field Theory
Mining the soul: from the inside out. 2000 , by Robin Robertson. York Beach: Nicholas-Hayes. Reviewed by Richard Messer, Ph.D.

Robin Robertson tells us at the onset that, "When we dig deep enough into our own identity, we see the whole world spread before us."(4)The mining metaphor seems apt in that the inner journey may be readily seen as an encounter with and processing of the paradoxical interrelatedness of all our experience, an operation that leads to the knowledge of the unity of all life. This book has a practical, pro-active edge to it and, having presented his thesis that we live our lives from the inside out, Robertson shows that the inner world can best be entered by means of gateways and rituals, then proceeds to guide us through the realms of dreams, synchronicity, meditation, the Tibetan Bardos, chakra lore, and divination, with particular attention given to mind machines, channeling, music tapes and CDs, active imagination and the I Ching. Dreams are the most obvious and accessible gateway to one's inner life and early on Robertson's discussion of dreams makes clear what he means by "gateways". The section on dreams gives way to a wide ranging discussion of the most recent investigations in brain research and holograms, a segue intended to help the reader integrate the personal and the subjective, the inner world, with the so-called objective and scientific world.Robertson provides . . ." scientific descriptions of unusual phenomenon simply because we are all so inculcated with the view that science knows everything, (or so we think), that it's hard for us to take anything truly seriously unless it has scientific support. (4) Throughout, the author's strategy is to link the two worlds, or cultures, that of the inner and mystical, or spiritual, with that of the outer and common sensical, or scientific, so that they are mutually illuminating.Dr. Robertson's lucid prose renders vividly clear not only the opaque constructions of science and mathematics, such as those having to do with the holographic universe, chaos theory, neural networks, saliency and the ins and outs of the latest mind tools, but also the seemingly mysterious propositions of mediumistic oracles, Jungian active imagination, and chakra meditation, as well as those of the psychoid universe and the I Ching. One of the great delights of this book is the depth and sweep of Robin Robertson's knowledge. Obviously, much of this material on mediation, or mind machines or the I Ching and so on is in wide circulation in the popular market and we often find that it really is more or less discredited by the intellectual community as "fringe" or New Age wishful and wistful speculation and enthusiasm.We might think of it as the shadow side of mainstream science.A good part of the power of this book is that the author's vision invites this shadow side in and makes a meaningful place for it.One isreminded ofthe various attempts in the twentieth century to find a unified field theory.Robinson does not tell us that this is his goal; his hope for his book is more practical:"This book might be viewed as a guidebook toward creating trained practitioners of the psyche." (27), and he accomplishes this end admirably. Mining the Soul, not only argues for the unity of inner and outer worlds, it demonstrates it.To agree to this unity, to consider and act upon the principles of the Spirit incarnate is, indeed, to take up a revolutionary stance.Would it not be revolutionary, for instance, in terms of the world wide environmental, ecological crisis, if we were to experience the full interrelatedness of inner and outer, so that we fully realized that our bodies, flesh, spirit and soul, and our planet are in essence one?

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Product Description
Marketing analysts use data mining techniques to gain a reliable understanding of customer buying habits and then use that information to develop new marketing campaigns and products. Visual mining tools introduce a world of possibilities to a much broader and non-technical audience to help them solve common business problems.
* Explains how to select the appropriate data sets for analysis, transform the data sets into usable formats, and verify that the sets are error-free
* Reviews how to choose the right model for the specific type of analysis project, how to analyze the model, and present the results for decision making
* Shows how to solve numerous business problems by applying various tools and techniques
* Companion Web site offers links to data visualization and visual data mining tools, and real-world success stories using visual data mining ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A nice applied Data Mining Book
In my opinion, there are two types of data
mining books.

The first type such as by Hand et' al, Han,
Witten etc focus on the techniques.

The second type which this book falls into
focuses on how to apply the techniques.
I like this book more than other books
of the same type such as the one by
Herb Edelstein because it has a detailed
case study that is built upon throughout
the book.

This book is a good example of how to apply
data mining. It is obvious the authors have
done data mining in industry, otherwise they
wouldn't have a section in the book on:
"Mapping Business Questions To Data Mining
Tasks".

Highly recommended.

Highly recommended
I believe Stephen Eick, Cheif Technology Officer of Visual Insights best put into words in the Advance Praise section of the book that "This book is a wonderful contribution and important resource for anyone building visual data mining systems. It combines down-to-earth, practical advice with thoughtful examples."

In addition, Michael Berry of Data Miners, Inc states "As this book shows, visualization plays an important role in every step of the data mining process. Soukup and Davidson take the reader through every detail of this process, providing sample SQL code for each practical example. In fact, much of their advice on project planning and data extract, transformation and cleaning is applicable to all data mining projects, visual or not."

I found the eight step VDM methodology applicable to data mining my own data. Highly recommended.

different type of data mining book
Most data mining books focus on the algorithms.

This book takes a different tack. It discusses
using the algorithms and visualization within a data mining
project. Alot of the book focuses on the "darker
side" of data mining: data preparation, model
performance and deploying your model once it is
built and tested. There are two chapters on
algorithms but they mainly focus on how to visualize
the model, its performance, expected vs actual
performance.

The book is well written and easy to follow. The
highly detailed retention case study is a nice addition.
One small critisim is that the authors get a little
to much on a soap box when discussing how to justify
to management a data mining project.

Solid All-Around Coverage
The examples are terrific, including those in color---and the business-oriented examples and cases are practical and detailed.The author also does a good job of covering tough areas, like verifying accuracy of visualizations, and selecting the correct data sets for analysis.

Find the Right Tool
I've been doing data mining for years, but have only recently begun working with a visual tool (better left unnamed), that I found frustrating to use. This book has been really helpful in giving me the lay of the land on visual mining techniques and tools, and insight into the right kind of tool for the work I do.Thanks for helping me get on the right track! ... Read more

Product Description
This practical step-by-step guide describes the key geological field techniques needed by today's exploration geologists involved in the search for metallic deposits. The techniques described are fundamental to the collection, storage and presentation of geological data and their use to locate ore. This book explains the various tasks which the exploration geologist is asked to perform in the sequence in which they might be employed in an actual exploration project. Hints and tips are give. The steps are illustrated with numerous examples drawn from real projects on which the author has worked. The book emphasizes traditional skills and shows how they can be combined effectively with modern technological approaches. ... Read more

Product Description
Fee Mining Adventures & Rock Hunting Expeditions in theU.S. is a handy guide for individuals, families, rockhounds andprospectors of all ages.This unique directory locates over 155collecting locations throughout this country, including fee mines,places to prospect for gold, and sites to hunt rocks and minerals.Mine the top of a mountain in New Hampshire; find Herkimer Diamonds inNew York and fluorescent minerals in New Jersey; Pan for gold in NorthCarolina, at the site of the first reported gold find in the U.S.;hunt for Spanish treasure and fossilized shark's teeth off the Floridacoast; gather Michigan's state stone and fossils in Indiana; try yourluck at a geode mine in Missouri or a quartz mine in Arkansas; obtainpetrified dinosaur bone from a collecting locale in Colorado; collectsmithstone in New Mexico, fire agates in Arizona, and opal in Nevada;visit numerous mines and sites of the California Gold Rush; search forsapphires in Montana and fossilized fish in Wyoming; and discover goldin rivers and streams in Oregon, Washington and Alaska.These andnumerous other fee mining, prospecting and rock hunting adventuresawait you in this handy collection of sites.Organized by region, itis a valuable guide for casual hobbyists and serious collectors.Seasons open and days and hours of operation are included for eachsite as well as the address, directions, cost, tools,, and suppliesneeded.Interesting history, regional attractions, and campinginformation help to make your collecting trip even more enjoyable. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This book does everything but drive you to the mine.
The author includes directions, hours of operation, supplies and all other information you need to know to plan your trip.Mining locations from Maine to California are included. I found loads of locations to take myfamily on a real life adventure.Seize the day! ... Read more

Product Description
Data mining can be defined as the process of selection, exploration and modelling of large databases, in order to discover models and patterns. The increasing availability of data in the current information society has led to the need for valid tools for its modelling and analysis. Data mining and applied statistical methods are the appropriate tools to extract such knowledge from data. Applications occur in many different fields, including statistics, computer science, machine learning, economics, marketing and finance.

This book is the first to describe applied data mining methods in a consistent statistical framework, and then show how they can be applied in practice. All the methods described are either computational, or of a statistical modelling nature. Complex probabilistic models and mathematical tools are not used, so the book is accessible to a wide audience of students and industry professionals. The second half of the book consists of nine case studies, taken from the author's own work in industry, that demonstrate how the methods described can be applied to real problems.

• Provides a solid introduction to applied data mining methods in a consistent statistical framework
• Includes coverage of classical, multivariate and Bayesian statistical methodology
• Includes many recent developments such as web mining, sequential Bayesian analysis and memory based reasoning
• Each statistical method described is illustrated with real life applications
• Features a number of detailed case studies based on applied projects within industry
• Incorporates discussion on software used in data mining, with particular emphasis on SAS
• Supported by a website featuring data sets, software and additional material
• Includes an extensive bibliography and pointers to further reading within the text
• Author has many years experience teaching introductory and multivariate statistics and data mining, and working on applied projects within industry

A valuable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of applied statistics, data mining, computer science and economics, as well as for professionals working in industry on projects involving large volumes of data - such as in marketing or financial risk management.

Data sets used in the case studies are available at ftp://ftp.wiley.co.uk/pub/books/giudici

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Customer Reviews (5)

Poor Prose
This book is a difficult read, not because of the subject matter, but because of the writing.The author may know what he is writing about, but has difficulty conveying that in English.There is knowledge in this book, but it takes a lot of effort to decode.

User-friendly textbook
I recently purchased the book by Dr. Giudici and I found it very informative for someone who is becoming acquainted with data mining. I would classify the book as intermediate/advanced. For a future edition, a further discussion on the technical issues involving the estimation methods would be desirable, in my view.

I would definitely recommend this textbook for a Master's level course.

Viviana Fernandez
Department of Industrial Engineering
University of Chile

not impressed
This book has little practical examples and too much mathematics. I'd recommend it for educational purposes only.

An excellent case-study book
I found the book very useful especially because it contains fully worked out case-studies which, supported by the theoretical chapters, give clear guidance on how to actually do data mining

Excellent review and very useful case studies
The book clearly describes, in a rather systematic manner, which are the main tools employed in data mining activity.
The usage of such tools is clearly described in the case-study section ... Read more

Product Description

Thorough in its coverage from basic to advanced topics, this book presents the key algorithms and techniques used in data mining. An emphasis is placed on the use of data mining concepts in real world applications with large database components. Includes unique chapters on Web mining, spatial mining, temporal mining, and prototypes and DM products. Separate case studies section highlights real world applications. An excellent reference book for computer database professionals and researchers.

Customer Reviews (3)

Good introductory survey to various technologies
The book serves its purpose of providing a introduction to the various technologies that make up data mining. There are three main topic sections. The first gives an overview of the technologies involved such as fuzzy logic, bayesian probability, and neural networks.The second topic area is more concentrated and focuses on how data mining works.This involves utilizing clustering, association, and classification of data.The final section covers advanced topics in web, spatial, and temporal mining.The only complaint that I would have is that most of the coverage at least in section one is cursory and one needs other reference books for serious work in the field.A very strong feature of the book is that pseudocode algorithms are offered in many sections.

clarity in exposition
Dunham gives a clear explanation of the main ideas in data mining. It's a concise book, directed towards the researcher or programmer. Space considerations meant that some topics are only briefly but succinctly covered, like fuzzy logic.

More details are provided about neural networks, genetic algorithms and similarity measures. Bayesian classifications also get a good mention. Other classification measures involve distance-based methods to define clusters. For clustering, you should note that exactly what goes into a given cluster can be rather subjective. It could depend on your choice of metric.

There is a fair amount of maths. Accessible to someone with a couple of years of university level maths, especially involving linear algebra.

The section on Web mining is especially interesting. The Web is probably the largest database in the world. Certainly the most accessible. But with different characteristics from many other databases. Web data might be wrong, deliberately or otherwise. And some websites might be link farms, that try to pump up page rankings. Other databases simply don't have this concern about their contents. Dunham explains Google's PageRank and a competing idea from IBM.

The algorithms are given in pseudocode. Which should not be a problem to an experienced programmer. Translating these into your choice of language is (or at least it should be) a lesser conceptual task than understanding the methods themselves. Or devising new methods. The book also aids the latter. Dunham's descriptions of the overall logic behind each algorithm is a good lead into what is needed in construction new ones.

Good book for those interested in Data Mining, Machine Learn
Currently I am taking a Machine Learning course. This book is really helpful and intuitive. My friends who are studying Bioinformatics also found it useful.

All algorithms are presented in pseudo-code.
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