How AI Works: From Sorcery to Science

Ronald Kneusel’s How AI Works: From Sorcery to Science is an exceptional resource for anyone curious about the mechanics and principles behind artificial intelligence. As someone with a background in science and technology, I appreciated how the book bridges the gap between technical depth and accessibility, making it suitable for readers with varying levels of expertise. Kneusel excels at demystifying complex concepts like neural networks, deep learning, and machine learning algorithms. His explanations are clear, engaging, and often supported by visual aids that enhance understanding. I particularly appreciated the historical context he provides, showing how AI evolved from speculative fiction to a transformative scientific field. The book’s structure is logical, with each chapter building on the last. Kneusel doesn’t just explain what AI is but also explores how and why it works, offering a solid foundation for understanding its real-world applications and implications. Whether you’re an AI enthusiast, a student, or a professional looking for a refresher, this book provides valuable insights without overwhelming the reader with jargon. I highly recommend How AI Works for anyone seeking to understand the science behind one of today’s most revolutionary technologies. It’s a fascinating and approachable read that makes AI feel less like “sorcery” and more like an exciting, tangible part of our world.

Book arrived i good condition, interesting concepts and explanations, with diagrams

Provides an interesting overview and background explanation of AI. “Ease of reading” varies widely, however. Some of the more dense content would have been easier to understand with either simpler language or perhaps some visuals (graphs / schematics…?) Maybe AI could help…

AI books are coming out in record numbers lately but most seem to be either too technical (heavy on math & code) or too non-technical (user advice, social impact, etc.). This is the first book I've found that hits the sweet spot of being technical enough but still digestible. I came away with a much better understanding of how AI systems really work internally.

I bought this after getting asked by a colleague for a recommendation that ties together how data, model development, and test & evaluation all work together to create a robust AI/ML program. The first chapter of this book is the best overview I’ve found with fantastic examples along the way. It spells out concepts brilliantly without coming across as condescending or elitist - especially the dimensionality problem for images all in the first chapter. It’s not super high-level so you will get more than you bargained for if you’re looking for something super simple like title suggests. Very well done. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know. I’m a big fan of the CNN chapter given my work in computer vision - wish it covered more of the newer techniques, such as Transformers, but still so so good. I even reached out to the author about one of bis other books, Math for Deep Learning, and he’s very friendly. Couldn’t recommend his work enough

I find the underlying math challenging, while this readable book gave me a general insight as to how the math is used to create, and train, AI systems

If you're looking for a survey of flavors of AI, sprinkled with opinion, this book is what you're looking for. It's like one really long sidebar. It is possibly useful to reinforce topics or provide context on an area one is about to study, or you've heard about elsewhere. This is a book of ideas, or rather, a review of ideas of the field. Buy it if you're trying to learn some of the terminology. Don't expect much actionable guidance from a technical perspective though. It isn't a book on grokking the programming or mathematics, wiring up new applications for leveraging AI, or an application cookbook of any sort.

The book is amazing, I think that its perfect for someone who wants to learn more about what AI is and how it works, it doesnt go into anything too serious so it's great for someone starting out.

Temas amplios muy bien sintetizados, terminos no muy exactos pero es ideal si ya sabes del tema de Inteligencia Artificial, y quieres saber que pasaba entre la comunidad que lo está haciendo

Muito completo nos aspectos de AI

Content de mon achat. J'ai tout lu en 3 jours max tellement s'est intéressant et assez bien expliqué. Thank You Mr Kneusel for helping us understandibg how AI/ML works.

It's pretty good for a beginner to learn the basics. I'm not keen on the super wordy explanations though - why not just put a few simple maths equations in? Also it's a bit out of date now (as of Aug 2025)

This is a good book you can read on the side. I think it's important to be up up-to-date on technology news and thus, got this one.