This book shows readers how they can successfully analyze data using only two core machine learning algorithms---and how to do so using the popular Python programming language. These algorithms deal with common scenarios faced by all data analysts and data scientists. This book focuses on two algorithm families (linear methods and ensemble methods) that effectively predict outcomes. This type of problem covers a multitude of use cases (what ad to place on a web page, predicting prices in securities markets, detecting credit card fraud, etc.). The focus on two families gives enough room for full descriptions of the mechanisms at work in the algorithms. Then the code examples serve to illustrate the workings of the machinery with specific hackable code. The author will explain in simple terms, using no complex math, how these algorithms work, and will then show how to apply them in Python. He will also provide advice on how to select from among these algorithms, and will show how to prepare the data, and how to use the trained models in practice. The author begins with an overview of the two core algorithms, explaining the types of problems solved by each one. He then introduces a core set of Python programming techniques that can be used to apply these algorithms. The author shows various techniques for building predictive models that solve a range of problems, from simple to complex; he also shows how to measure the performance of each model to ensure you use the right one. The following chapters provide a deep dive into each of the two algorithms: penalized linear regression and ensemble methods. Chapters will show how to apply each algorithm in Python. Readers can directly use the sample code to build their own solutions.