This book is a superb practical guide for data scientists and graduate students in business and economics interested in data analytics. The combination of a clear introduction to the concepts and techniques of big data analytics with examples of how to code these tools makes this book both accessible and practical. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to prepare themselves for the ever-evolving world of data analytics in business and economics research. - Oded Netzer, Vice Dean for Research, Columbia Business School
"Ulrich Matters book on Big Data Analytics is an ideal resource for academics and corporate practitioners who have had some exposure to data analytics and want to enrich their toolbox to handle Big Data. This monograph sets the scene from many points of view: programming techniques, databases, distributed computing, Big Data handling, visualization, machine learning, and GPU deployment. Even though R has been chosen as the programming language, many techniques discussed in the book are not R-dependent and can be easily translated into other languages and computing environments. The writing style makes this handbook useful both as a main reference in the teaching of a course in related topics as well as an aid for those who want to learn the material independently. The authors approach is 100% hands-on. Not much attention is paid to the technical aspects involving algorithms; all the focus goes to implementation strategies and to the specificities of the interplay between programming, hardware, databases, and visualization problems that arises in Big Data contexts. The book has been thoroughly tested in classes that the author has been teaching for a number of years, which makes it a safe bet for those looking for a textbook on the topic. I highly recommend it!" - Juan-Pablo Ortega, Head, Division of Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University