Natural Language Processing with Python

by Steven Bird, Ewan Klein and Edward Loper, Steven Bird
Natural Language Processing with Python cover
Good Books rating 4.12
Language and Linguistics
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  • ID: 8365
  • Added: 2025-12-21
  • Updated: 2025-12-22
  • ISBN: 9780596555719
  • Publisher: "O'Reilly Media, Inc."
  • Published: 2009-06-12
  • Reviews: 4

Natural Language Processing with Python offers a highly accessible introduction to the field of natural language processing, supporting a variety of language technologies. You'll learn how to write Python programs that work with large collections of unstructured text, extract information, analyze linguistic structure, and access popular linguistic databases. This book is packed with examples and exercises, making it both fascinating and immensely useful for anyone interested in developing web applications, analyzing multilingual news sources, or documenting endangered languages./n/nThe book provides a comprehensive range of linguistic data structures and the main algorithms for analyzing the content and structure of written communication. It integrates techniques drawn from diverse fields such as linguistics and artificial intelligence. Whether you're interested in predictive text, email filtering, automatic summarization, or translation, this book will help you gain practical skills using the Python programming language and the Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK) open source library.

Reviews
Ian Hopkinson's Blog · Ian Hopkinson · 2013-06-25
enjoyable 4.00

The book is well-written with a formal yet accessible style, making it enjoyable to read. It provides a practical introduction to natural language processing, suitable for both beginners and those looking to expand their knowledge.

Ian Hopkinson found this book to be a delightful read, striking the right balance between formality and accessibility. He appreciated the practical approach taken by the authors, which makes complex topics in natural language processing more approachable. The book is filled with examples and exercises that help reinforce the concepts discussed, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in the field. Hopkinson particularly enjoyed reading it on his train commutes, highlighting its engaging nature.

Quick quotes

    I enjoyed this book and recommend it, it's well written with a style which is just the right level of formality.

    The book is filled with examples and exercises that help reinforce the concepts discussed.

    It provides a practical introduction to natural language processing, suitable for both beginners and those looking to expand their knowledge.

Springer · Wagner · 2010-01-01
practical 4.00

The book is strong on code, with many detailed and entertaining examples that showcase NLP applications in a cookbook-like style. The clean and well-explained code makes it a valuable resource for learning and applying NLP techniques.

Wagner highlights the book's strength in its code examples, which are detailed, entertaining, and presented in a cookbook-like style. The clean and well-explained code makes it an excellent resource for learning and applying natural language processing techniques. Wagner appreciates the practical approach taken by the authors, which makes the book particularly useful for those looking to implement NLP solutions. The examples are not only informative but also engaging, making the learning process enjoyable.

Quick quotes

    The book is very strong on code.

    Many detailed and entertaining examples show NLP applications in a cookbook-like style.

    The code is clean and well-explained.

Semantic Scholar · Michael Elhadad · 2009-01-01
comprehensive 4.50

The book offers a comprehensive and accessible introduction to natural language processing, with a focus on practical applications. The examples and exercises are well-chosen and effectively illustrate the concepts discussed.

Michael Elhadad praises the book for its comprehensive and accessible introduction to natural language processing. He highlights the practical focus of the book, which is reinforced by well-chosen examples and exercises. Elhadad notes that the book is particularly strong in its coverage of the Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK), making it a valuable resource for both students and practitioners in the field. The book's pragmatic and task-centered approach is appreciated for its clarity and usefulness.

Quick quotes

    This book offers a highly accessible introduction to natural language processing.

    The actual coverage of NLTK and, to a slightly lesser degree, natural language processing is excellent.

    The theme of the book is very pragmatic and task centred.

NLAcara Blog · 2009-01-01
excellent 4.00

While not perfect, the book is an excellent free resource that gets readers coding from the start. It is highly practical and useful for those interested in NLP.

This reviewer acknowledges that the book is not perfect but still considers it an excellent resource, especially given that it is free. They highlight its practical nature, noting that it gets readers coding from the start. The book is praised for its usefulness in the field of natural language processing, making it a valuable tool for anyone looking to gain practical skills in NLP. The reviewer appreciates the hands-on approach, which makes it easier to apply the concepts discussed.

Quick quotes

    It is not a perfect textbook, but as a free textbook it is an excellent resource and will get you coding from the start.

    It's a great introduction to NLP.

    The book is highly practical and useful.

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