Product Description
Data mining, or knowledge discovery in databases (KDD), is one of the fastest growing areas in computing application: it offers powerful tools to analyze the many large data bases used in business, science, and industry. Data mining technology searches large databases to extract information and patterns that can be translated into useful applications, such as classifying or predicting customer behavior. This book brings together fundamental knowledge on all aspects of data mining--concepts, theory, techniques, applications, and case studies. Designed for students and professionals in such fields as computing applications, information systems management and strategic research and management, the Handbook is a comprehensive guide to essential tools and technology, from neural networks to artificial intelligence. There is a strong emphasis on real-world case studies in such areas as banking, finance, marketing management, real estate, engineering, medicine, pharmacology, and the biosciences. A much needed resource on one of the fastest growing areas of computer applications--the development and use of tools to analyze, interpret, and make use of the enormous amounts of information stored in the world's databases. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Have Large Data sets to Analyse?
As computer usage keeps increasing, the amount of data being stored on disks worldwide also rises. Many terabytes by now, if not a petabyte or two.

Companies often have gigabytes of data that need to be analysed. This book is a very useful compendium of techniques that can be applied to the data. Because it may be that a sophisticated understanding of your data is a strategic advantage to your company. If not a core competence.

The book covers data in many different fields. From financial, engineering, medical and even bioinformatic. The methods applied to these data span the gamut from Artificial Intelligence to neural networks. While some methods are specific to the type of data being studied, the astute reader may be able to modify these for her own situation. ... Read more

Product Description
Whether you're an experienced evaluator of mineral projects, a student, or a decision maker who is not a practitioner but must use evaluation results, this new book is an essential reference for your bookshelf. Designed to complement traditional engineering texts, this book emphasizes the concepts of mineral project evaluation rather than computational details. It describes various economic evaluation techniques typically employed (including conventional cost analysis, discounted cash flow, and option analysis), their uses, and their relationships with geological, technological, and financial evaluations. Also discussed are the strengths and weaknesses of commonly practiced evaluation methods.

This book explains the practical difficulties in conducting an analysis and correctly interpreting the results, as well as the use of alternative techniques. Because many existing texts do not adequately discuss the meanings and application of merit measures, such as net present value (NPV) or internal rate of return (IRR), this book represents an exciting departure from standard reference tools. Contents include: why NPV and IRR are both valid and useful merit measures the shortcomings of conventional NPV and IRR analysis the dangers of scenario analysis why conventional incremental analysis is not needed to correctly calculate IRR why the desire to achieve NPV-consistent IRR is misleading how competitive cost analysis is conducted and used why option pricing is an important addition to the evaluation process.

When used correctly, evaluation methods are powerful tools to help us understand the economics of investment projects. Don't miss out on this new source. Contains glossary and full index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Evaluating Mineral Projects
The mineral evaluator has that peculiar necessity of requiring knowledge equally in the two fields of his discipline: the physical science that explains minerals and the financial science that arranges the numbers describing their configuration.

This is a good introduction to financial side of the discipline of evaluating mineral resources. The concepts are described from scratch with great lucidity. Abstruse concepts of the financial apparatus are given a commonsensical turn which deftly assist the understanding. Methods of valuation which rely on geological and minerological investigations are unfortunately sparsely treated or absent.

For a quick introduction to the subject, one that is easy to understand and thorough on the financial side of mineral appraisal, I do recommend this book.

Seow It Sze
... Read more

Product Description
(Pearson Education) Provides an understanding of what shared service is. Outlines how to assess its viability for an organization and how to proceed with planning and implementing it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Moving Internal Services to a Market Economy
Moving Internal Services from Soviet-Style Monopoly to a Market System

This book is an excellent introduction to the implementation of shared services by people with lots of pragmatic experience. It's required reading at my company.

If you are just starting out, it provides a good map of what shared services are and how to go about implementing. If you have done it, it might remind you of the original vision.

Also, the book is well written, making it easy and enjoyable to read--which means that I actually read it instead of leaving it on the table hoping for osmosis to kick in.

As someone involved the creation of software to automate and support shared services at Newscale, I found the focus on "running Shared Services as business" (and all that implies) the clearest difference between the new way and the old way.

This means, frankly, that while cutting costs is the primary driver for shared services, the path has to take account fiveelements that are non-obvious today: 1) how do I plan and execute my service workflows, 2) how do I enable my internal customers to procure my offers and those of outsourcers? 3) how do I manage the business relationship with the business units, 4)how do I charge for services and manage the Shared Services business unit), 5) how do I design and create my service "products"?

In other words, run a business that produces value for customers at a profit -- just like a market economy. Which sounds obvious and simple, but it's not. Just ask the Russians...or the dotcoms. ... Read more

Product Description
The first documented discovery of gold in the United States was in 1799 at John Reed's farm in Cabarrus County, N.C. In the first half of the 19th century, North Carolina was the preeminent state in gold mining, yielding more of the precious metal than any other American state prior to 1849. For nearly three decades, until the beginning of the Civil War in 1861, all domestic gold coined by the U.S. Mint came from North Carolina. The authors assert that the story of mining in the state offers impressive evidence of industrialization that struck a balance between industry and agriculture. They present case studies of John Reed and the Gold Hill mining district in Rowan County, which together chart North Carolina's unique role in the industry. Additional sections of the book focus on the activity at mines other than Gold Hill from 1865 well into the 20th century. Through the book, the authors discuss the role of African Americans, slave and free, in North Carolina's gold region. The volume contains 63 black-and-white illustrations, a helpful glossary of gold mining terms, and an extensive list of sources. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice introduction to a relatively unknown topic
Gold Mining in North Carolina?The very thought of this pales by comparison to the gold rushes seen in California in the 19th century, but there was indeed gold found in North Carolina as well.

The authors have done a nice job of introducing the reader to the history of gold mining in the state of North Carolina.The book provides the reader with a quality study of the personas and events that triggered the gold rush in the south, as well as the struggles faced in trying to recover gold in this region.

The book starts with a rather dry chapter on the geologic activity in the region, including where the gold was found.From there, however, the book picks up pace nicely and becomes a great narrative story of mining and recovery of gold nuggets and flakes in this American state.

In my opinion, the strongest features of the book are the introductions to the characters (quite literally, some of these folks were indeed characters) that were involved in the mining experiences in North Carolina starting as early as 1799.The authors have also done a splendid job in describing the meteoric rise and similarly rapid fall of the mines themselves, including the many times that mining properties were sold at auction or purchased by new gold-hungry entrepeneurs.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an introduction to gold mining in North Carolina, but be warned that the first chapter can be tough sledding.I can only hope that there are further books written by this team detailing out the lives of the people that made these events so interesting. ... Read more

Product Description
This lively best seller by leading Colorado historians Steve Leonard and Tom Noel is the most comprehensive survey ever written of the Mile High metropolis. Informative and richly illustrated, Denver covers the developing region from the mountain towns of Boulder and Jefferson counties to the High Plains settlements of Adams and Arapahoe counties, with more than two-thirds of the book devoted to the burgeoning five-county region since 1900.

In retelling the tale of conquest and city building, the authors explore the role of previously neglected peoples--notably women, ethnic minorities, and the working class--while weaving several key themes throughout the book: Denver’s persistent reliance on natural resources, the important role of transportation to overcome the city’s isolation, and the city’s emphasis on privatization rather than on the public, common good. Denver: Mining Camp to Metropolis will fascinate and educated students and scholars, as well as all readers curious about the boom-and-bust metropolis of the Rockies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent, with a need for a new edition
Published in 1990, this book functions as a dense introduction to the full span of Denver history -- from the town's beginnings as a provider of goods and services to miners leaving for the mountains, to its rise as a transportation and medical hub of the Plains, to its recent oil and high-tech booms. The book is thoughtful and intelligent (and basically the only solid semi-recent book I can find about Denver). The ten years since the book was published have seen immense change in Denver (economic revival, massive suburban growth), however, and the volume sorely needs a discussion of how the recent decade's events and growth have changed the metropolitan area. ... Read more

Product Description

Handbook of Educational Data Mining (EDM) provides a thorough overview of the current state of knowledge in this area. The first part of the book includes nine surveys and tutorials on the principal data mining techniques that have been applied in education. The second part presents a set of 25 case studies that give a rich overview of the problems that EDM has addressed.

Researchers at the Forefront of the Field Discuss Essential Topics and the Latest Advances
With contributions by well-known researchers from a variety of fields, the book reflects the multidisciplinary nature of the EDM community. It brings the educational and data mining communities together, helping education experts understand what types of questions EDM can address and helping data miners understand what types of questions are important to educational design and educational decision making.

Encouraging readers to integrate EDM into their research and practice, this timely handbook offers a broad, accessible treatment of essential EDM techniques and applications. It provides an excellent first step for newcomers to the EDM community and for active researchers to keep abreast of recent developments in the field.

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

... Read more

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

The Definitive Resource on Text Mining Theory and Applications from Foremost Researchers in the Field

Giving a broad perspective of the field from numerous vantage points, Text Mining: Classification, Clustering, and Applications focuses on statistical methods for text mining and analysis. It examines methods to automatically cluster and classify text documents and applies these methods in a variety of areas, including adaptive information filtering, information distillation, and text search.

The book begins with chapters on the classification of documents into predefined categories. It presents state-of-the-art algorithms and their use in practice. The next chapters describe novel methods for clustering documents into groups that are not predefined. These methods seek to automatically determine topical structures that may exist in a document corpus. The book concludes by discussing various text mining applications that have significant implications for future research and industrial use.

There is no doubt that text mining will continue to play a critical role in the development of future information systems and advances in research will be instrumental to their success. This book captures the technical depth and immense practical potential of text mining, guiding readers to a sound appreciation of this burgeoning field.

Product Description
The increasing availability of data in our current, information overloaded 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 knowledge from such data. This book provides an accessible introduction to data mining methods in a consistent and application oriented statistical framework, using case studies drawn from real industry projects and highlighting the use of data mining methods in a variety of business applications.

• Introduces data mining methods and applications.
• Covers classical and Bayesian multivariate statistical methodology as well as machine learning and computational data mining methods.
• Includes many recent developments such as association and sequence rules, graphical Markov models, lifetime value modelling, credit risk, operational risk and web mining.
• Features detailed case studies based on applied projects within industry.
• Incorporates discussion of data mining software, with case studies analysed using R.
• Is accessible to anyone with a basic knowledge of statistics or data analysis.
• Includes an extensive bibliography and pointers to further reading within the text.

Applied Data Mining for Business and Industry, 2nd edition is aimed at advanced undergraduate and graduate students of data mining, applied statistics, database management, computer science and economics. The case studies will provide guidance to professionals working in industry on projects involving large volumes of data, such as customer relationship management, web design, risk management, marketing, economics and finance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

ALMOST EVERYTHING A PROSPECTOR IN WASHINGTON NEEDS TO KNOW.
LOTS OF HISTORICAL INFORMATION AND STORIES FROM THE "OLD TIMERS" . THE BOOK IS VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT AND PUT TOGETHER. THE INFORMATION IN THIS BOOK PROVIDES MODERN RECREATIONAL PROSPECTORS WITH INFORMATION ONWHERE TO GO BY LETTING YOU KNOW WHERE GOLD WAS FOUND IN THE PAST. ... Read more

Product Description
How data mining delivers a powerful competitive advantage!

Are you fully harnessing the power of information to supportmanagement and marketing decisions? You will, with this one-stop guide to choosing the right tools and technologies for a state-of-the-art data management strategy built on a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) framework.Authors Alex Berson, Stephen Smith, and Kurt Thearling help you understand the principles of data warehousing and data mining systems, and carefully spell out techniques for applying them so that your business gets the biggest pay-off possible.

Find out about Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) tools that quickly navigate within your collected data. Explore privacy and legal issues...evaluate current data mining application packages...and let real-world examples show you how data mining can impact -- and improve -- all of your key business processes.Start uncovering your best prospects and offering them the products they really want (not what you think they want)! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Bought it but never read it.
Never used the book but figured I'd give it the 5 star benefit of the doubt.

Great for producers
I've read many books on the subject and this one is the first that is easy to understand.It walks you through the all definitions, background information, reasoning and software needed.You learn the general principals and can translate them to any business.I also bought 'Mining the Web' which, in my opinion, was too focused on ecommerce.If you only buy 1 book - this should be it.

Very good bool on the matter
A book which is interesting because it provides you a classification of each data mining tools. Particularly for European people because it gives you names and descriptions of most of US tools in many CRM fields which deal with data.

Very useful and informative.
This book assumes sufficient knowledge of data warehouse and CRM. This book deals purely with Data Mining - one of the branches of Business Intelligence.

A very good book that includes chapters on business value and business case for an enterprise wide Data Mining solution. Certainly is helpful to me in my goals to pursue data mining solutions for clients.

Good understanding of a "profitable customer" is a prerequisite for an enterprise wide data mining solution - which is emphasized in this book neatly.

Can be used to educate marketing/sales/operations executives about data mining concepts and principles. Unless there's an executive buy-in, the concept will not sell in an organization. Business values and business case chapters will help one is selling this concept to higher-ups and help associates understand data mining in theory.

My theory is that, data mining implementations would help organizations coming out of this economic mess, in reducingmarketing/sales/operating costs based on understanding the customer profitability and customer segmentation. Unless you spend on your customers, customer loyality is not assured. Why spend a lot on all customers when not all are created equal?

This is the book that will justify such questions and pave the way for a profitable business.

Timely book for current marketing concerns
I came into this with a lot of questions about data mining and how I could apply mining in my marketing department. You couldn't call me an expert now but I do know enough to hold my own against some of the more technical people who work for me.In addition, I am now comfortable talking with the various vendors that are trying to sell me data mining software and services.As I didn't know anything about the subject before, this is a very positive step.I am very happy with this book and have recommended it to others in my local marketing executives organization. ... Read more

Product Description
An Introduction to Mining Seismology describes comprehensively the modern methods and techniques used to monitor and study seismicity and rockbursts in mines. Key case histories from various worldwide mining districts clearly illustrate and skillfully emphasize the practical aspects of mining seismology. This text is intended as a handbook for geophysicists and mining and rock mechanics engineers working at mines. It will alsoserve as an essential reference tool for seismologists working at research institutions on local seismicity not necessarily induced by mining.

Key Features
* Presents a comprehensive description of seismicity induced by mining worldwide
* Provides information on optimum network planning and seismic event location procedures in deep mines
* Covers a broad array of topics including focal mechanism, moment tensor, and double-couple versus non-double-couple seismic events in mines
* Includes data on source parameters and scaling relations for seismic events in mines ... Read more

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

Managing and Mining Graph Data is a comprehensive survey book in graph data analytics. It contains extensive surveys on important graph topics such as graph languages, indexing, clustering, data generation, pattern mining, classification, keyword search, pattern matching, and privacy. It also studies a number of domain-specific scenarios such as stream mining, web graphs, social networks, chemical and biological data. The chapters are written by leading researchers, and provide a broad perspective of the area. This is the first comprehensive survey book in the emerging topic of graph data processing.

Managing and Mining Graph Data is designed for a varied audience composed of professors, researchers and practitioners in industry. This volume is also suitable as a reference book for advanced-level database students in computer science.

About the Editors:

Charu C. Aggarwal obtained his B.Tech in Computer Science from IIT Kanpur in 1993 and Ph.D. from MIT in 1996. He has worked as a researcher at IBM since then, and has published over 130 papers in major data mining conferences and journals. He has applied for or been granted over 70 US and International patents, and has thrice been designated a Master Inventor at IBM. He has received an IBM Corporate award for his work on data stream analytics, and an IBM Outstanding Innovation Award for his work on privacy technology. He has served on the executive committees of most major data mining conferences. He has served as an associate editor of the IEEE TKDE, as an associate editor of the ACM SIGKDD Explorations, and as an action editor of the DMKD Journal. He is a fellow of the IEEE, and a life-member of the ACM.

Haixun Wang is currently a researcher at Microsoft Research Asia. He received the B.S. and the M.S. degree, both in computer science, from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 1994 and 1996. He received the Ph.D. degree in computer science from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2000. He subsequently worked as a researcher at IBM until 2009. His main research interest is database language and systems, data mining, and information retrieval. He has published more than 100 research papers in referred international journals and conference proceedings. He serves as an associate editor of the IEEE TKDE, and has served as a reviewer and program committee member of leading database conferences and journals.

Customer Reviews (1)

Worth every penny.
Written by leading researchers, Managing and Mining Graph Data is a well-structured, comprehensive guide to graph data. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
Mining the Web: Discovering Knowledge from Hypertext Data is the first book devoted entirely to techniques for producing knowledge from the vast body of unstructured Web data. Building on an initial survey of infrastructural issues-including Web crawling and indexing-Chakrabarti examines low-level machine learning techniques as they relate specifically to the challenges of Web mining. He then devotes the final part of the book to applications that unite infrastructure and analysis to bring machine learning to bear on systematically acquired and stored data. Here the focus is on results: the strengths and weaknesses of these applications, along with their potential as foundations for further progress. From Chakrabarti's work-painstaking, critical, and forward-looking-readers will gain the theoretical and practical understanding they need to contribute to the Web mining effort.

* A comprehensive, critical exploration of statistics-based attempts to make sense of Web Mining.
* Details the special challenges associated with analyzing unstructured and semi-structured data.
* Looks at how classical Information Retrieval techniques have been modified for use with Web data.
* Focuses on today's dominant learning methods: clustering and classification, hyperlink analysis, and supervised and semi-supervised learning.
* Analyzes current applications for resource discovery and social network analysis.
* An excellent way to introduce students to especially vital applications of data mining and machine learning technology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

comprehensive web mining book though 326 pages
I still gave it 5 stars though the effective page number is 326. There are mainly 3 sections in the book --- the first section is 79 pages walks you thru the basic structure of a web search engine, the 2nd one talks about the learning process (clustering, classification and so on), yes, I know it is AI related stuffs, but this book does not have too much equation and is quite readable. From page 203 is the 3rd section --- application which includes page ranking and other interesting topics.

Great coverage, but quite a few errors
The book is an absolute must for those working in information retrieval, and in particular web information retrieval and web mining. These areas are quite hot (again) both for the academics as well as for industry. I personally enjoyed the fact that there is no discussion of semantic web research directions (Jena, OWL etc.) but others might not... The material is quite tightly brought together and very comprehensibly written. However, especially in chapters 4 and 5 there are many pages containing mathematical errors (either in the formulas or in the algorithms described.) For this reason, I rate an otherwise excellent textbook with 4 stars.

Readable, approachable, informative
The field of relevance algorithms for the web is still relatively new and the author provides a clear, informative introduction to the still-developing field. Many references to real problems are discussed, and the author avoids needless use of equations or symbolic logic when a simple textual explanation is more appropriate. This is the book that the authors of "Modelling the Internet and the Web" should have written. Avoid that book, it is a confusing disaster.

The best general purpose book on the subject I've seen
Probably not a book you're going to put on your coffee table, but if you've got any interest in this subject matter at all this is a book worth having.You can flip it open to just about any page and find something interesting.Most of the descriptions in this book move from general to specific, so you can jump around from chapter to chapter getting an overview, or dig more deeply when you want more detail.The references at the end of each chapter are also very useful.Whether you want a survey of the field or are trying to implement something specific, this book is a valuable resource.

A wonderful textbook for machine learning over the web
This book is one of the best computer science textbooks i have ever seen. Apart from the wealth of information and discussion on specific WEB crawling and data mining (chapters 2, 3, 7, 8), chapters 4, 5 and 6 constitute a wonderful summary of machine learning in general.

The book's discussion of unsupervised learning (the EM algorithm, advanced algorithms in which the number of clusters is not known in advance), supervised learning (Bayesian networks, entropian methods, SVMs), semisupervised learning, co-training and rule induction is extraordinary in that it is short, intuitive, does not sacrifice mathematical rigor, and accompanied by examples (all taken from information retreival over the web). ... 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?

30 ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Great book! Pictures really show the devastation of the mountains.
Pictures are definitely worth a thousand words, in this case, words can't describe the devastation that goes on in the mountains of Appalachia. This book combines amazing and thought provoking photography with well written articles and stories by authors and locals who have experienced the dramatic effects that MTR coal mining has had on their lives. Must READ and SEE for anyone wanting to know more about MTR.

A Wonderful Book About A Shameful Practice
Since becomming aware of and outraged at the practice of mountaintop removal coal mining about twelve years ago, while doing research for my novel The Pie Man I have read books, articles and hundreds of website pages about this heartbreaking issue. The marvelous photography and the plaintive, intelligent essays of "Plundering Appalachia" tell the story magnificently -- it is a book every American should read.

The critical point that "Plundering Appalachia" so wonderfully makes is that mountaintop removal coal mining is much more than just an evironmental crime and ecological tragedy. The colonization of Appalachia and the creation of a sacrificial energy dead zone, is a social and political injustice that Americans everywhere should be outraged at. Nowhere but in Appalachia would we stand for the blasting away of mountain tops and filling the valleys, covering the streams,releasing toxic minerals, poisoning the groundwater and displacing local residents and making communities inhabitable. It wouldn't happen in California, or Vermont, or in the Catskills, or anywhere outside of Appalachia, where the coal industry has been sucking out the wealth for a hundred years, keeping the people poor and powerless.

"Plundering Appalachia" is a beautiful, insightful and important book that every American Congressman and Senator should read and then ask themselves"how was this ever permitted to happen?"

Deeply disturbing - Because it's supposed to be
This is not an easy book to look through, or read, not when you realize that an entire people, an entire culture, an entire way of life, is being systematically and deliberately destroyed in the name of quick corporate profit - and that it is happening in the United States of America, in collusion with the regulatory agencies that are supposed to protect our land, air and water for future generations.

I am not a rabid environmentalist - I do not condone blowing up draglines or lying down on haul roads to block coal trucks - but Plundering Appalachia hammers home the point in a brutally direct fashion that an entire region of our country is being turned into a National Energy Sacrifice Zone. It's cheaper and quicker to get at the coal by blasting off the tops of the oldest mountains on the continent and shoving them into the adjacent valleys ... never mind that the coal companies are violating almost every state and federal environmental law on the books with mountaintop removal coal mining (and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection openly admits that if it refused to renew mining permits for coal companies that had outstanding pollution violations, NO mining would take place at all, so it keeps doing it!).

The cost of this "cheap energy" to the people who live in Appalachia is horrific - orange water in their creeks, black water coming out of their bathroom faucets; toxic dust inside and outside their houses; blasts from the mines so strong they crack foundations; shortened lifespans; tremendous floods where none ever occurred before because the mountaintop removal mining strips bare all the vegetation; entire valleys and towns that are slowly consumed by the relentless march of the draglines and the bulldozers ... the list goes on.

Yes, America needs electricity to maintain its standard of living. But after reading Plundering Appalachia, any rational person should think the cost of getting it through mountaintop removal mining is too high.
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Product Description
Mining's dramatic and dangerous nature is reflected in the hundreds of specialized tools and artifacts shown in over 450 color photographs and discussed in this fascinating new book. Thirty categories, from advertising and assay equipment to surveying equipment and tokens, chronicle old mining methods in detail. An elevated appreciation is gained here of the men and women who spent part of their lives in mining with this equipment. Today, historians and collectors pay respect to those people as they preserve and interpret the equipment that remains. This is an important and valuable reference for all concerned. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Antique Mining Equipment
Book arrived in good time, was like new condition, packed well.Did not have the pouring vats that I was looking for, but alot of great items.

Want to know if the ore cart is over-priced?
If you are a student of mining history or a collector of western paraphernalia, you should buy this book.The authors have managed to track down most of the tools and other related historical items from the early days of mining.There is an abundance of information on small items such as candleholders, carbide lamps, and assay tools plus the larger items such as ore carts, Pelton wheels, and stamp mills.Pictures of many items plus price ranges give the novice somewhere to begin and the more experienced collector, an excellent reference book. ... Read more

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