Discover reviews on "best books for data science" based on Reddit discussions and experiences.
Last updated: August 22, 2025 at 08:15 PM
Best Books for Data Science
Reddit Comments Summary:
- "The Data Lab Cookbook" by Alton Brown is recommended for understanding the science of cooking.
- "[Alton Brown] explains why techniques work and is a good primer for merging science and cooking."
- "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat" by Samin Nosrat is suggested for understanding how flavors work in cooking.
- "[The book] explains how foods and ingredients balance each other."
- "CookWise" by Shirley Corriher is mentioned for beginner's level food science understanding.
- "[It] was the blueprint for Good Eats" by Alton Brown.
- "Ratios" by Michael Ruhlman is noted for providing Ratios on how to make foods.
- For learning coding and Python, users recommend Coursera courses like:
- "Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)"**
- 1 user shared starting this course.
- Another user mentioned a similar course on Coursera.
- “On Food and Cooking” by Harold McGee is recommended for understanding why cooking methods work.
- "The Food Lab" by J. Kenji López-Alt is suggested for the science of cooking.
- "[Kenji] gets deep into the why of what he talks about."
Additional Insights:
- Users emphasized the importance of basic understanding of fundamental programming concepts, like SQL.
- It was mentioned that despite the fast-paced tech changes, fundamental concepts and SQL database knowledge remain crucial.
- The importance of soft skills, collaborative work, and building good relationships with coworkers was highlighted.
- Users appreciated pair programming for skill development but noted its time-consuming nature.
- The challenge of learning from coworkers while working remotely was acknowledged.
- Documentation skills were mentioned as essential for engineers, with a recommendation for the website: https://www.plainlanguage.gov/guidelines/ for better documentation practices.
This summary provides a range of book recommendations, online course suggestions, and key insights from Reddit comments on the best books for data science and related skills.