How the Heck Is That Possible?

Machine learning can seem like magic. How can a computer recognize the objects in an image? How can a car drive itself?

Those feats are baffling—not just to the layman, but to many software developers like you and me. Even after writing code for many years, I had no idea how machine learning could possibly work. While I tinkered with the latest web framework, someone out there was writing amazing software that looked like science fiction—and I couldn’t even comprehend it.

I wanted in on the action. I wanted to be able to build those things myself.

I knew how to write software, so I assumed that I would grok machine learning quickly. I mean, how hard could it be? I put on a confident smile and started studying. Then I kept smiling confidently as I slammed my muzzle into a long sequence of brick walls.

To us developers, machine learning feels… foreign. The field is teeming with math jargon, researchy conventions, and frankly, bad code. Instead of tutorials, people point you at lectures and research papers. For many of us, machine learning is as intimidating as it’s intriguing.

This is the book I missed when I got started with machine learning: an introduction for developers, written in our own language. After reading it, you’ll be comfortable with the fundamentals, and able to write machine learning programs. No, you probably won’t be able to build your own self-driving car just yet—but at least you will know how the heck that’s possible.

Come in.