Data Science is one of the highest paying and most preferred career options for tech professionals. It offers immense opportunities for growth and professional development while also significantly impacting how organizations function.
If you’re preparing for an upcoming interview, going through this list of the best data science books should definitely be part of your data science interview preparation. Cracking the data science interview at top tech companies is not an easy task by any margin. With a good strategy in place, you can ace your next data science interview and land that dream offer!
While doing your data science interview preparation, enrolling for a good data science interview course, or finding a reputed resource to help your prep can make a big difference. Books are a brilliant way to kickstart your data science interview preparation, and that’s what we’ll discuss in this article. We’ll look at the top 7 best data science books to help you with your data science interview preparation.
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Let’s take a look at the best data science books to take your data science interview preparation to the next level. Cracking the data science interview will become a lot easier if you read these books.
- Designing Data-Intensive Applications
- The Data Science Handbook
- Practical Statistics For Data Scientists
- Data Science From Scratch — First Principles With Python
- Practical Statistics For Data Scientists: 50 Essential Concepts
- Data Science and Big Data Analytics
- Practical Data Science With R
The Best Data Science Books to Help You Nail Your Data Science Interview
Let’s go ahead and look at the seven best data science books that can hugely influence your data science interview preparation and subsequent success.
1. Designing Data-Intensive Applications
Designing Data-Intensive Applications by Martin Kleppmann is one of the best books to learn how present-day data applications are built and the science behind them. It helps you understand data systems in the current age and how data-driven decisions are made by incorporating data science into applications.
The author extensively talks about how applications can use data and how data systems can be integrated into software programs and applications. It covers core concepts such as Scalability, Fault Tolerance, and how different tools can be used to perform research and create advanced data models. If you’re getting started with your data science interview preparation, this is one of the best data science books.
2. The Data Science Handbook
If you’re an experienced data scientist preparing for an upcoming data science interview, the Data Science handbook is one that certainly shouldn’t be missed. This book contains the most pressing questions in the field of data science, answered by expert data scientists who discuss key areas in the subject.
The questions are structured topic-wise, helping you understand each component in adequate detail. If you’re getting ready for an upcoming interview, this book is certain to help with your data science preparation.
3. Practical Statistics For Data Scientists
If you’re a beginner entering the field of data science, this is one of the best data science books you definitely shouldn’t miss. This book gives you a comprehensive idea of the different concepts you need to be familiar with in order to crack data science interviews.
If you wish to enjoy a rewarding career in data science, having in-depth knowledge of the fundamental concepts is supremely important, and this book helps with that.
Recommended Reading: How to Create an Impressive Data Scientist Resume
4. Data Science From Scratch — First Principles With Python
This book by Joel Grus should form the basis of your data science interview preparation, especially if you’re applying to junior data science roles. This book gives the perfect overview of fundamental concepts in data science, helping you approach each concept practically with examples.
It will familiarize you with concepts such as Linear and Logistic Regression, Decision Trees, Clustering Models, and the Naive Bayes theorem, among other concepts.
5. Practical Statistics For Data Scientists: 50 Essential Concepts
Written by Peter Bruce and Andrew Bruce, this book on how statistical methods can be applied and integrated into data science is a gold mine for data scientists wishing to crack technical interviews at the biggest companies.
In order to benefit from this book, you need to have a good base in R programming and know your way around basic statistics. As far as your data science interview preparation goes, this is one of the best data science books you definitely shouldn’t miss.
6. Data Science and Big Data Analytics: Discovering, Analyzing, Visualizing, and Presenting Data
Another great book that can help a great deal with your data science interview preparation is this one published by EMC. This book extensively covers popular data science concepts, data systems, and tools used by data scientists.
It gives practical insight into how data science contributes to software applications and systems. Rich with examples and practical explanations, this book can immensely influence your data science interview preparation and help you gain a solid footing in your interview.
Recommended Reading: Machine Learning vs. Data Science — Which Has a Better Future?
7. Practical Data Science With R
If you want to understand the practical application of data science concepts and tools, this is one of the best data science books that can help you with your data science interview preparation. Written by popular data scientists Nina Zumel, John Mount, and Jim Porzak, this book focuses on the basic principles of data science.
This is a book to read regardless of whether you are a beginner or advanced data scientist. It also introduces the R programming model and how you can apply the language to perform a wide range of data-intensive tasks for applications and software programs.
These seven best data science books are certain to help with your data science interview preparation. Read these books along with referring to good online/offline resources to get ahead of your competition and ace your next data science interview!
FAQs on Best Data Science Books
Q1. What are the best data science books to help with data science interview prep?
Some good data science books that will help with your data science interview preparation include - Practical Data Science with R, Practical Statistics for Data Scientists, Designing Data-Intensive Applications, and the Data Science Handbook.
Q2. Which is the data science book for beginners?
Head First Statistics: A Brain-Friendly Guide is one of the best data science books if you want to start learning data science.
Q3. Which is the data science book for advanced learning?
The Data Science Handbook is an excellent resource for learning advanced data science. It contains information from various leading data scientists in the form of questions and answers.
Q4. Which is the best book for data science with Python?
If you’re looking to learn some python basics and Machine Learning with Python, these two data science books are a good pick: Python Machine Learning By Example and Python for Data Analysis.
Q5. Is coding an important component in data science interviews?
Yes, coding is an integral part of data science interviews at FAANG+ companies. As part of your data science interview preparation, covering advanced concepts in core data structures and algorithms is essential from the interview perspective.
Q6. What are some important concepts to prepare apart from coding for your data science interview?
The critical core concepts to prepare for your data science interview include - SQL programming, Statistical Models and Analysis, Machine Learning, Probability, Deep Learning, Time-Series Analysis, and Hypothesis Testing.
Crack Your Data Science Interview
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