An excellent introduction to the techniques of data mining as well as the application of data mining to real world business problems.   This is the first book that I recommend to anyone interested in learning about data mining.

The best reference that I have found for the algorithms used in data mining.   I have been recommending this book to everyone that I know.

A  very good overview of the field of data mining, starting with the fundamentals and then proceeding to a complete cross section of the leading algorithms. The authors do a nice job connecting the various data mining techniques to the real world problems that they can be used to solve.

An exceptionally thorough text on the statistical and machine learning algorithms used in data mining.    This is one of the two core algorithm books that I recommend.

Our goal with this book was to take the discussion of data mining beyond the technology and to focus on how it could be used to solve real-world marketing problems.  Also available in Korean and Chinese.  

Michael and Gordon are two of the best data mining consultants in the business. This book expands on their fantastic first book (Data Mining Techniques) with a wide variety of case studies and practical insight.

Data preparation is probably the most critical step in the process of data analysis but unfortunately it often gets overlooked in comparison to the mining algorithms.   Pyle does a great job describing how data preparation works and how it fits into the overall analysis process.

A fantastic book on the mathematics that underlie data mining.   This book covers all of the standard techniques as well as newer ones such as genetic algorithms and neural networks.

Many of the data mining books focus on the technology rather than the impact on the business process.  This book provides a good introduction to data mining as well as a good  discussion of the business impact that can be felt throughout an organization. 

 In this book (their third), Berry and Linoff  focus on the challenge of taking web data and turning it into actions which have a direct impact on a business.  

A nice overview of how data mining works for web data.  An excerpt, "Mining E-Customer Behavior," is available online. 

Neural networks are an important data mining technology but there are very few good references on the subject.  This book is by far the best I have seen.   Besides covering the standard stuff, Bishop addresses practical issues such as data pre-processing and feature extraction.

A collection of superb research articles on data mining, from some of the giants in the field.

The books of Edward Tufte should be in the collection of anyone interested in data analysis.  Envisioning Information  is an absolutely amazing book and provides the best description I have seen on using data visualization to describe complex patterns in data.  

Edward Tufte's latest masterpiece on data visualization and information design .   Beautiful Evidence, Tufte's fourth book in this area, does a fantastic job explaining the how's and why's of good data visualization.   One of my favorite books in quite a while. 

This is Tufte's first book on information design and visualization.   It's been twenty years since it first came out (there's a new, second edition) but this book  is as relevant now as it was then. Highly recommended. 

Tufte's third book in the series.  The focus here is on the description of actions (verbs). There is a nice article about this book and its author on the Salon web site.

A very good overview of information design principles.

This is a really wonderful book on the practical use of CRM.  Dyché does a great job explaining, in real-world terms, how CRM can be used to improve the relationships that a company has with its customers.  Highly recommended. 

A wonderful book.  Greenberg cuts through the hype of CRM and tells it like it really is. 

Given the relative short lifespan of CRM as a discipline, there aren't a lot of good books on the subject.  This book helps to change that situation. In his book, Stanley Brown provides a thorough overview of the subject, leading the reader through the many different parts of a CRM system.  

A great book on what it takes to implement CRM and affect change for a business.  The focus is on doing the right thing for each customer. 

The true impact of data mining and CRM is felt when a company delivers exactly what their customer wants.  This is what 1-to-1 marketing is all about.   In Markets of One, Gilmore and Pine pull together some of the most important writing on this subject in one volume.   Highly recommended. 

The book that started it all.