Data sets such as customer transactions for a mega-retailer, weather patterns monitored by meteorologists, or social network activity can quickly outpace the capacity of traditional data management tools. If you need to develop or manage big data solutions, you'll appreciate how these four experts define, explain, and guide you through this new and often confusing concept. You'll learn what it is, why it matters, and how to choose and implement solutions that work.Effectively managing big data is an issue of growing importance to businesses, not-for-profit organizations, government, and IT professionals Authors are experts in information management, big data, and a variety of solutions Explains big data in detail and discusses how to select and implement a solution, security concerns to consider, data storage and presentation issues, analytics, and much more Provides essential information in a no-nonsense, easy-to-understand style that is empowering Big Data For Dummies cuts through the confusion and helps you take charge of big data solutions for your organization.

    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

    Their discussion ranges from the history of the field's intellectual foundations to the most recent developments and applications.Reinforcement learning, one of the most active research areas in artificial intelligence, is a computational approach to learning whereby an agent tries to maximize the total amount of reward it receives when interacting with a complex, uncertain environment. In Reinforcement Learning, Richard Sutton and Andrew Barto provide a clear and simple account of the key ideas and algorithms of reinforcement learning. Their discussion ranges from the history of the field's intellectual foundations to the most recent developments and applications. The only necessary mathematical background is familiarity with elementary concepts of probability.The book is divided into three parts. Part I defines the reinforcement learning problem in terms of Markov decision processes. Part II provides basic solution methods: dynamic programming, Monte Carlo methods, and temporal-difference learning. Part III presents a unified view of the solution methods and incorporates artificial neural networks, eligibility traces, and planning; the two final chapters present case studies and consider the future of reinforcement learning.

    The authors have taken the mystery out of complex queries and explained principles and techniques with such clarity that a "Mere Mortal" will indeed be empowered to perform the superhuman. Do not walk past this book "--Graham Mandeno, Database Consultant""SQL Queries for Mere Mortals" provides a step-by-step, easy-to-read introduction to writing SQL queries. It includes hundreds of examples with detailed explanations. This book provides the tools you need to understand, modify, and create SQL queries"--Keith W. Hare, Convenor, ISO/IEC JTC1 SC32 WG3--the International SQL Standards Committee"I learned SQL primarily from the first edition of this book, and I am pleased to see a second edition of this book so that others can continue to benefit from its organized presentation of the language. Starting from how to design your tables so that SQL can be effective (a common problem for database beginners), and then continuing through the various aspects of SQL construction and capabilities, the reader can become a moderate expert upon completing the book and its samples. Learning how to convert a question in English into a meaningful SQL statement will greatly facilitate your mastery of the language. Numerous examples from real life will help you visualize how to use SQL to answer the questions about the data in your database. Just one of the "watch out for this trap" items will save you more than the cost of the book when you avoid that problem when writing your queries. I highly recommend this book if you want to tap the full potential of your database."--Kenneth D. Snell, Ph.D., Database Designer/Programmer"I don't think they do this in public schools any more, and it is a shame, but do you remember in the seventh and eighth grades when you learned to diagram a sentence? Those of you who do may no longer remember how you did it, but all of you do write better sentences because of it. John Viescas and Mike Hernandez must have remembered because they take everyday English queries and literally translate them into SQL. This is an important book for all database designers. It takes the complexity of mathematical Set Theory and of First Order Predicate Logic, as outlined in E. F. Codd's original treatise on relational database design, and makes it easy for anyone to understand. If you want an elementary- through intermediate-level course on SQL, this is the one book that is a requirement, no matter how many others you buy."--Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP"Even in this day of wizards and code generators, successful database developers still require a sound knowledge of Structured Query Language (SQL, the standard language for communicating with most database systems). In this book, John and Mike do a marvelous job of making what's usually a dry and difficult subject come alive, presenting the material with humor in a logical manner, with plenty of relevant examples. I would say that this book should feature prominently in the collection on the bookshelf of all serious developers, except that I'm sure it'll get so much use that it won't spend much time on the shelf "-- Doug Steele, Microsoft Access Developer and author"Over the last several decades, SQL has evolved from a language known only to computer specialists to a widely used international standard of the computer industry. The number of new applications deployed each year using SQL now totals in the millions. If you are accessing corporate information from the Internet or from an internal network, you are probably using SQL. This new edition of "SQL Queries for Mere Mortals" helps new users learn the foundations of SQL queries, and is an essential reference guide for intermediate and advanced users.The accompanying CD contains five sample databases used for the example queries throughout the book in four different formats: Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and later, Microsoft Access 2000 and later, MySQL version 5.0 and later, and SQL scripts that can be used with most other implementations of the language.

    As more business intelligence pros begin using Power Pivot, they find that they do not have the Excel skills to clean the data in Excel; Power Query solves this problem. This book shows how to use the Power Query tool to get difficult data sets into both Excel and Power Pivot, and is solely devoted to Power Query dashboarding and reporting.

    

    The realistic content of its examples and exercises, the clarity and brevity of its presentation, and the soundness of its pedagogical approach have received the highest remarks from both students and instructors. Now this bestseller is available in a new 6th edition.

    In this edition the authors have created a learning system that makes the chapters easier to navigate and provides a variety of ways for students to learn the material. "Learning Objectives" are now strategically placed throughout the chapter following major headings, and there are review questions at the ends of these major sections. "Chapter Summaries" are now organized around the "Learning Objectives" as well, making it easier for students to return to the place in the book that can help them work through the end-of-chapter material. Icons throughout the chapter direct students to the BiologyNow CD and tells them what they will find there. BiologyNow, the new Student CD-ROM for BIOLOGY Seventh Edition, is also based on these "Learning Objectives" to further reinforce the text's concepts. The BiologyNow CD, fully integrated with the Seventh Edition text, provides access to diagnostic pre-tests for each chapter. It also automatically generates customized learning plans for students, directing students to the information in the book, ancillaries and media program that will help them master specific concepts. Post-tests allow students to assess their progress as well. Personal Tutor with SMARTHINKING, a FREE online live tutoring service. Students can ask questions, get answers, and they don't need to set up appointments! For instructors, a Multimedia Manager provides the text art in PowerPoint form. Instructors also receive an Instructor's Guide, ExamView Electronic Testing and WebTutor course management options. Solomon, Berg, and Martin have gone beyond presenting facts for memorization -- they have created a well-designed pedagogical system through their use and reuse of chapter "Learning Objectives," which is supported by an unbelievable package of materials for instructors and students.

    However, the integrity of an outstanding lesson will always be the same and this book attempts to bottle that formula so that you can recreate it time and time again.In his first book, Twitter phenomenon and outstanding teacher, Ross Morrison McGill provides a bank of inspirational ideas that can be picked up five minutes before your lesson starts and put into practice just as they are, or embedded into your day-to-day teaching to make every lesson an outstanding lesson! In his light-hearted and enthusiastic manner Ross guides you through the ideas he uses on a daily basis for managing behaviour, lesson planning, homework, assessment and all round outstanding teaching. Whether you are an experienced teacher or someone who has little practical teaching experience, there are ideas in this book that will change the way you think about your lessons.Ideas include: Snappy starters, Open classroom, Smiley faces, Student-led homework, Monday morning mantra and the popular five minute lesson plan.The 100 ideas series offers busy secondary teachers easy to implement, practical strategies and activities to improve and inspire their classroom practice. The bestselling series has been relaunched with a brand new look, including a new accessible dip in and out layout. Features include: Teachers tips, Taking it further tips, Quotes from the Ofsted framework and teachers, Bonus ideas, Hashtags and online resouces.

    Authors Drew Conway and John Myles White help you understand machine learning and statistics tools through a series of hands-on case studies, instead of a traditional math-heavy presentation.Each chapter focuses on a specific problem in machine learning, such as classification, prediction, optimization, and recommendation. Using the R programming language, you'll learn how to analyze sample datasets and write simple machine learning algorithms. "Machine Learning for Hackers" is ideal for programmers from any background, including business, government, and academic research.Develop a naive Bayesian classifier to determine if an email is spam, based only on its textUse linear regression to predict the number of page views for the top 1,000 websitesLearn optimization techniques by attempting to break a simple letter cipherCompare and contrast U.S. Senators statistically, based on their voting recordsBuild a "whom to follow" recommendation system from Twitter data

    Tony and Cyrus have taken to the road, exploring the British Isles and adding their own spicy twist to our most classic and best-loved dishes. Try jazzing up a Sunday roast chicken with a honey and ginger, adding a cumin and coriander kick to a shepherd's pie or lacing a Victoria sponge with aromatic fennel seeds and cardamom.With delicious, everyday recipes accompanied by Cyrus and Tony's top tips and favourite spices, The Incredible Spice Men will demystify the contents of your spice rack, and open your everyday cooking up to a world of exciting new flavours.

    eGrade Plus offers an integrated suite of teaching and learning resources, including an online version of Black's Business Statistics for Contemporary Decision Making, Fourth Edition Update, in one easy-to-use Web site. Organized around the essential activities you perform in class, eGrade Plus helps you: Create class presentation using a wealth of Wiley-provided resources. you may easily adapt, customize, and add to his content to meet the needs of your course. Automate the assigning and grading of homework or quizzes by using Wiley-provided question banks, or by writing your won. Student results will be automatically graded and recorded in your gradebook. Track your students' progress. An instructor's gradebook allows you to an analyze individual and overall class results to determine each student's progress and level of understanding. Administer your course. eGrade Plus can easily be integrated with another course management system, gradebook, or other resources you are using in your class. Provide students with problem-solving support. eGrade Plus can link homework problems to the relevant section of the online text, providing context-sensitive help. Best of all, instructors can arrange to have eGrade Plus packaged FREE with new copies of Business Statistics for Contemporary Decision Making, Fourth Edition Update, All instructors have to do is adopt the eGrade Plus version of this book and activate their eGrade Plus course.

    Updated for the most recent version of bash, this concise little book puts all of the essential information about bash at your fingertips. You'll quickly find answers to annoying questions that always come up when you're writing shell scripts -- What characters do you need to quote? How do you get variable substitution to do exactly what you want? How do you use arrays? -- and much more.If you're a user or programmer of any Unix variant, or if you're using bash on Windows, you'll find this pocket reference indispensable. This book covers:Invoking the ShellSyntaxFunctionsVariablesArithmetic ExpressionsCommand HistoryProgrammable CompletionJob ControlShell OptionsCommand ExecutionCoprocessesRestricted ShellsBuilt-in Commands

    Learn them fast and learn them well. Have you always wanted to learn to build your own website but are afraid it'll be too difficult for you? Or perhaps you are a blogger who wants to tweak your blog's design, without having to spend money on an expensive theme. This book is for you. You no longer have to waste your time and money learning HTML and CSS from lengthy books, expensive online courses or complicated tutorials. What this book offers... HTML and CSS for Beginners Complex concepts are broken down into simple steps to ensure that you can easily master the two languages even if you have never coded before. Carefully Chosen Examples (with images) Examples are carefully chosen to illustrate all concepts. In addition, images are provided whenever necessary so that you can immediately see the visual effects of various CSS properties. Learn The Languages Fast Concepts are presented in a "to-the-point" style to cater to the busy individual. With this book, you can learn HTML and CSS in just one day and start coding immediately. How is this book different... The best way to learn programming is by doing. End-of-Chapter Exercises Each CSS chapter comes with an end-of-chapter exercise where you get to practice the different CSS properties covered in the chapter and see first hand how different CSS values affect the design of the website. Bonus Project The book also includes a bonus project that requires the application of all the HTML and CSS concepts taught previously. Working through the project will not only give you an immense sense of achievement, it’ll also help you see how the various concepts tie together. Are you ready to dip your toes into the exciting world of web development? This book is for you. Click the BUY button and download it now. What you'll learn: - What is CSS and HTML? - What software do you need to write and run CSS codes? - What are HTML tags and elements? - What are the commonly used HTML tags and how to use them? - What are HTML IDs and Classes? - What is the basic CSS syntax? - What are CSS selectors? - What are pseudo classes and pseudo elements? - How to apply CSS rules to your website and what is the order of precedence? - What is the CSS box model? - How to position and float your CSS boxes - How to hide HTML content - How to change the background of CSS boxes - How to use the CSS color property to change colors - How to modify text and font of a website - How to create navigation bars - How to create gorgeous looking tables to display your data .. and more... Click the BUY button and download the book now to start learning HTML and CSS now. Learn them fast and learn them well. Tags: ------------ CSS, HTML5, web development, web page design, CSS examples, CSS tutorials, CSS coding, CSS for Dummies

    Stay in the know, spot trends as they happen, and push your business to new limits. This e-book introduces Microsoft Power BI basics through a practical, scenario-based guided tour of the tool, showing you how to build analytical solutions using Power BI. Get an overview of Power BI, or dig deeper and follow along on your PC using the book's examples.