Customer Reviews

Fuzzy Modeling and Genetic Algorithms for Data Mining and Exploration (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

4 stars for theory, but 3 stars for actual implementation details

This book is a great introduction into Fuzzy Logic, Rules, Sets, and Modeling. The author doesn't assume the reader already has a Masters degree in Comp Sci or Software Eng, and gives good explanations of all the requisite knowledge needed to understand the basics of Fuzzy stuff. For this I gave the author 4 stars.

But, there is very little implementation details in this book. Its mostly theory with a smattering of code here and there. That's where it falls short of invaluable. If the author has made the book a hundred or two more pages longer and went into in depth implementation details this book would have been an easy 5 stars, coving the basics all the way through real world usage and implementation.

As it is, its just a good masters level text book. A good supplemental theory text to read prior to another book that shows more implementation details (which I haven't found yet).

Both the author and publisher should be ashamed of releasing this book, and having the gall to charge $50 for it. Let me list some of the ways this book is a rip-off:

1) It was never proof-read or copy edited. There are typographic errors, misspellings, and missing words in the middle of sentences.

2) One chapter (I'll let you find it) skips a number in the figure sequence.

3) Variable names in the text differ from those in the referenced figure.

4) Code fragments in several languages are useless other than to boost the author's ego: look how many computer languages I can use!

5) The examples are all over the map; there's no consistency. Worst of all, however, is that the entire third part of the book (the Genetic Algorithms included in the title) focuses on a crew scheduling algorithm and never shows how that relates to data mining or anything else that preceeded it in the first two parts.

The book looks (and reads) like it was thrown together overnight from previously written materials and no one took the time to make sure it was done correctly. It must have been a stream-of-consciousness core dump without any thoughtful review to see if all parts were necessary, complete, and fit together to make a whole story.

They should pay the reader to take it out of inventory. It is unfortunate that the book is so poor as to be useless, I'm sure that others are as disappointed as I am.

Cox explains fuzzy modelling at a level that should be readily understandable to many readers. The math ideas are given, but you are not overwhelmed with page after page of formulae. Enough maths is developed to use against data and to produce sensible results.

A good feature of the book is how to apply fuzzy logic against data in a SQL database. Other books on fuzzy logic often ignore this important practical case.

Cluster is decently covered. This is a field where often what is a cluster can be very subjective. Which makes it well suited for a fuzzy approach.

The book also shows a very natural fit between fuzzy logic and genetic algorithms. The probing nature of the latter, where you really don't know what the "proper" answer should be, means that using a fuzzy match as a step within the genetic searching can be a fruitful implementation.

I agree with the other negative reviewers. This book covers an interesting area of topics, but with no depth or where there is depth-- its poorly described. Here's my impression of each section:

1) I start reading, and the intro paragraphs grab my attention and I'm happy to learn about the topic!

2) It presents a vocab section -- perfect! This is really a great way to start a new domain of discourse

3) Everything gets hazy-- we talk about some useful information...some theory is glossed over...some logical information is plain missing to take the reader on a useful, continuous exploration of the topic.

4) He introduces an example, but then runs through it without explaining the diagrams and numbers well -- he glosses over them. It feels very disconnected in the places that matter, and too verbose in the places that don't matter at all.

At the end of the book, I felt like I learned some good terms and got about 10% of the information I would've expected from the number of words I read. So its good to skim for an overview of the space and get some topics...but that's it.

To be honest, I was very disappointed with the fact that it was a Morgan Kaufman book! I usually have a lot of respect for that name on a book.

Many readers like me are still waiting for the promised software on the www.scianta.com Website.

Many chapters are settled to that software...

Very very bad situation when you need it.

No answer from the website, no chance to have the software.

I think that the book value is about 1 $...

Earl where are you???