Machine learning methods extract value from vast data sets quickly & with modest resources They are established tools in a wide range of industrial applications including search engines DNA sequencing stock market analysis & robot locomotion & their use is spreading rapidly People who know the methods have their choice of rewarding jobs This hands-on text opens these opportunities to computer science students with modest mathematical backgrounds It is designed for final-year undergraduates & master's students with limited background in linear algebra & calculus Comprehensive & coherent it develops everything from basic reasoning to advanced techniques within the framework of graphical models Students learn more than a menu of techniques they develop analytical & problem-solving skills that equip them for the real world Numerous examples & exercises both computer based & theoretical are included in every chapter Resources for students & instructors including a MATLAB toolbox are available online