Computer Science Unleashed: Harness the Power of Computational Systems

by Wladston Ferreira Filho, Moto Pictet

A high-level overview of networking, data science and computer security. Designed for readers who don't care for academic formalities, it's a fast and easy guide. It teaches the foundations programmers and knowledge workers need to maximize their effectiveness. It explains how the Internet works from the ground up, how to analyse and derive knowledge from data, and how computers are able to predict the future with machine learning.

Genres: Computer Science, Technology, Programming, Technical

268 pages, Hardcover

Published March 1, 2021

Reviews

[Chance Phiniezy · Rating 5 out of 5]

They did it again. The first read in this series is one of those books you read and then you keep it close by for reference as you learn and relearn different things on your computing journey. Well, they did it again. This new book will take your understanding to the next level and will fill in areas you've always wondered about in the trademark approachable style of the series. A great book that would also make an excellent book for someone who is not inherently "technical" but needs to or wants to learn. There is something for everyone in this book.

[Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book fills in the gaps left by the authors first book, Computer Science Distilled. Both books are excellent reads for those that want to gain a general understanding of computer science and how it is applied in daily life. Both books acknowledge that the in-depth study will need to be completed on your own, outside of the books, but the authors were kind enough to include links to textbooks or articles that can provide the in-depth knowledge. This also is an excellent book for anyone that has studied computer science and needs a refresher on what they've learned. I'm really looking forward to whatever the authors have planned for their next book.

The authors also included a hidden message somewhere in the book. It is a nice little extra that helps to practice some of the techniques they teach in the book.

[Franck JEANNIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once in a while you read a book that really stands out. This is one of those rare books you wish you had access to earlier.
Knowing what you don’t know is always a challenge. I thought I knew how the Internet worked but now I really do. This book manages to reconcile two opposite goals: being accessible and being truly accurate. You will get into just the right amount of minute details because they are important and yet it never feels hard or overwhelming. I will make this book mandatory reading at ALGOSUP (where we teach Computer Science for full-stack developers) because reading it will make you a better developer.

[Ron Roozeboom]

A great book to follow Computer Science Distilled! It contains just enough detail to be comprehensive yet stay compact. I can strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in computing in this time and age.

I ordered the copy from Code Energy but unfortunately received a misprint (it missed a few dozen pages). They quickly sent me a new copy and reimbursed me with the added cost, so I am a happy camper!

[Srinivasan Nanduri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Takes into the world of computer science and its growth over time and the advances in the field that have influenced this growth.

Follow this up with the Computer Science distilled book from the same author(s)

[Fabiano Cancela jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Computer science unleashed is a beautiful, rich and fun experience for anyone who's into technology and wants to understand the modern world a little better.

The authors expertly present very complicated topics in a friendly manner, by breaking down its parts and assembling them along with the reader. It is truly engaging to follow along examples and use-cases as you learn how the internet works, or how a hospital may collect and use data to better help it's patients, for example.

Beautifully designed tables and schematics are a huge part of the book and they are incredibly useful and smart.

The most amazing thing, however is how the authors managed to present topics in a easy to understand manner without dumbing the content down.

I strongly recommend it to anyone with no tech background to dive in and take a look at how computer science shapes our lives. And I also recommend it to folks that already work with data and technology for gaining broader insight and choosing areas to study further.

[Ruslan Dubas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Computer Science Unleashed is a fantastic read!!! I have learned a lot already and I'm only 25% in.
The text is so reach with information and accessible to non-technical people. It is so worth to come back to it at the later time. The humor of the cartoons is addictive! And the way book keeps you curious is the best part! I'm loving it and highly recommend it!!! Five Stars.
Ruslan Dubas, Sarasota FL

[Wladston Filho · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this book, so I may be biased…

[Markus Lommer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally read it. And I immediately continued with Computer Science Distilled which I stopped at about 50% completion years ago. I loved the clarity of writing and illustrations of the "distilled", so I needed to get the "unleashed", too.

I'm working as a full-stack webdev for some years now, so I expected some kind of a recap and closing some gaps of knowledge concerning the bigger context of my work. And that's exactly what I've achieved.

I was a bit surprised to find a big part about data science, but since computer science is not just about making websites it makes total sense to give it room. It was fun to read, a great introduction to data science!

Since I naturally have a preference for web stuff, the most useful chapters to me are the first two. "Connections" is the nicest and clearest explanation of internet communication I've read so far. From the "Communication" chapters I liked best the ones about time (that one was new to me), and mail, because I've almost completely forgotten about its history and detailed workings. What I love about the "Security" chapter is that it builds upon more simple encryptions as its historic roots - having the historic context makes complex stuff much clearer.

There's nothing I dislike about the book. I love it for it's clearity and cute illustrations. It has been easy and fun to read. I think I can use it in future as a quick reference when I feel confused about some transport layer issues or when I have to do data analysis, what may be the case in future.

The books are among the very few I read completely in the last 10 years. They're super interesting and fun to read.

[Anastasia Potehina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a gentle introduction to a range of different tech topics like networking, machine learning and cybersecurity. I personally enjoyed the networking part a lot, it was a fun dive into how the connection between peers happens on the internet, how packages are formed. I wish I read this and the previous book earlier, right when I just started learning programming. A lot of things would make sense.
I would recommend this book to any Junior Developer or any person who is curios about tech and wants to get a general understanding of computer science and how it is applied in a daily life. The book is detailed but also very compact. And last but not the least - it is written in simple terms, presenting very complicated topics in a friendly manner with beautifully designed tables, schematics and even xkcd comics.
Fantastic read, highly recommend it!
Can't wait for the next book. This is those kind of reads that leave you craving for more!

[Ishwar Nagwani]

Having previously read the author's book "COMPUTER SCIENCE DISTILLED", I promptly purchased their latest release. The new book served as an extension to the previous one, and I was delighted to find that it included important Data Science topics like Analysis and Learning. The inclusion of patterns, particularly regular expressions, as a bonus topic was also a nice surprise. I believe that this book is suitable for individuals who are not well-versed in computer science, particularly those who have not studied networking, communications, and security. Even those who are familiar with CS will find many of the topics covered in the book to be fascinating, as the author has managed to present them in a simplified manner.

[Martin Brant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a teacher of Computer Science and I'm always looking for books that explain complex ideas in an accessible way. This is the second book (the first is Computer Science Distilled https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...) and continues the excellent presentation of some difficult ideas in a friendly way with plenty of illustration. I've recommended this to many of my students and they have all commented on how their understanding has improved upon reading it. I highly recommend this if you are a student of computer science or if you are an old hat, like me, and just need to be reminded of things we once knew.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished the book a few times. I absolutely love it!

Why:
- It's concise and easy to understand
- It covers a lot, but avoids going too deep
- The visual design is great
- I can easily revisit it to refresh my understanding

After reading it, I feel like I have a stronger conceptual framework of computer networks and applied CS. This book has given me a solid foundation for when I want to dive deeper into any of the topics (e.g. machine learning, data science). The book left me wanting more, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

[Mariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the fact that the explanations start with very simple concepts (like the friendthat acts like a router), but it also uses the actual terms of the field, ie frames, packets, etc. It brought me value to my daily life because I learned the workings of routing, which I actually had to use for a project I'm working on, and I found the theory hard to understand from other sources. Honestly, there isn't a thing I disliked. Maybe I wanted the book to be longer, that's all.

[Orkhan Huseynli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for those who want to learn or revise fundamentals of computer science topics such as networking protocols, security, analysis and overview of machine learning. The language of the book is so simple that anyone can understand.

I also recommend checking out Computer Science: Distilled as well.

Highly recommended!

[Djuro Alfirevic · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true masterpiece really. Every recommendation.

It doesn't matter if you're a junior or senior engineer or just someone who wants to have a good tech book in your hands - this one is definitely a nice one to pick

[Sul O · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book for someone starting out, but also for someone who wants to fill in the gaps or refresh their memory. Concepts are easily explained using simple examples and graphics. Definitely recommend!

[Jose Luis Aguilar Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Al igual que la primera parte, este es un libro que definitivamente debe ser leído por todos aquellos que estamos en el mundo de la programación pero que no venimos de estudiar una carrera relacionada con “Cumputer Science”.
He aprendido muchísimo con estos libros.