About the Book
Algorithms increasingly run our lives. They find books, movies, jobs, and dates for us, manage our investments, and discover new drugs. And in the world's top research labs and universities, the race is on to invent the ultimate learning algorithm: one capable of discovering any knowledge from data, and doing anything we want, before we even ask.
Machine learning is the automation of discovery-the scientific method on steroids-that enables intelligent robots and computers to program themselves. No field of science today is more important yet more shrouded in mystery. Pedro Domingos, one of the field's leading lights, lifts the veil for the first time to give us a peek inside the learning machines that power Google, Amazon, and your smartphone. Step by step, he assembles a blueprint for the future universal learner-the Master Algorithm-and discusses what it means for you, and for the future of business, science, and society.
If data-ism is today's rising philosophy, this book will be its bible. The quest for universal learning is one of the most significant, fascinating, and revolutionary intellectual developments of all time. The Master Algorithm is the essential guide for anyone and everyone wanting to understand not just how the revolution will happen, but how to be at its forefront.
About the Author :
Pedro Domingos is one of the world's top machine learning researchers, and a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. He is a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence and has received Fulbright and Sloan Fellowships and the National Science Foundation's CAREER Award.
Review :
The holy grail of computer science is a machine that can teach itself, as we humans do, from experience. Machine learning could help us do everything from curing cancer to building humanoid robots. Pedro Domingos demystifies machine learning and shows how wondrous and exciting the future will be -- Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs and The Innovators Machine learning is a fascinating world never before glimpsed by outsiders. Pedro Domingos initiates you to the mysterious languages spoken by its five tribes, and invites you to join in his plan to unite them, creating the most powerful technology our civilization has ever seen -- Sebastian Seung, Professor, Princeton, and author of 'Connectome' Machine learning, known in commercial use as predictive analytics, is changing the world. This riveting, far-reaching, and inspiring book introduces the deep scientific concepts to even non-technical readers, and yet also satisfies experts with a fresh, profound perspective that reveals the most promising research directions. It's a rare gem indeed -- Eric Siegel, founder of Predictive Analytics World and author of 'Predictive Analytics: The Power to Predict Who Will Click, Buy, Lie, or Die' With terms like 'Machine Learning' and 'Big Data' regularly making headlines, there is no shortage of hype-filled business books on the subject. There are also textbooks that are too technical to be accessible. For those in the middle-from executives to college students-this is the ideal book, showing how and why things really work without the heavy math. Unlike other books that proclaim a bright future, this one actually gives you what you need to understand the changes that are coming -- Peter Norvig, Director of Research, Google and coauthor of 'Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach' [The Master Algorithm] does a good job of examining the field's five main techniques...The subject is meaty and the author ... has a knack for introducing concepts at the right moment Economist Machine learning is the single most transformative technology that will shape our lives over the next fifteen years. This book is a must-read-a bold and beautifully written new framework for looking into the future -- Geoffrey Moore, author of 'Crossing the Chasm' This is an incredibly important and useful book. Machine learning is already critical to your life and work, and will only become more so. Finally, Pedro Domingos has written about it in a clear and understandable fashion -- Thomas H. Davenport, Distinguished Professor, Babson College and author of 'Competing on Analytics and Big Data @ Work' Starting with the audacious claim that all knowledge can be derived from data by a single 'master algorithm,' Domingos takes the reader on a fast-paced journey through the brave new world of machine learning. Writing breezily but with deep authority, Domingos is the perfect tour guide from whom you will learn everything you need to know about this exciting field, and a surprising amount about science and philosophy as well -- Duncan Watts, Principal Researcher, Microsoft Research, and author of 'Six Degrees and Everything Is Obvious *Once You Know the Answer' A delightful book by one of the leading experts in the field. If you wonder how AI will change your life, read this book -- Sebastian Thrun, Research Professor, Stanford, Google Fellow and Inventor of the Self-Driving Car An exhilarating venture into groundbreaking computer science Booklist (starred review) Pedro Domingos is a man with a quest, and a hypothesis, which is likely - one day - to change the world ... Domingos is a genial and amusing guide ... This is a highly inclusive book, aimed at a wide range of readers from the merely curious to those who might be interested in pursuing a career in the field ... Descriptions and discussions are presented with a commendable lack of jargon and the examples are clear and accessible -- John Gilbey Times Higher Education Wonderfully erudite, humorous, and easy to read. KDNuggets
