This timely text/reference reviews the state of the art of big data analytics, with a particular focus on practical applications. An authoritative selection of leading international researchers present detailed analyses of existing trends for storing and analyzing big data, together with valuable insights into the challenges inherent in current approaches and systems. This is further supported by real-world examples drawn from a broad range of application areas, including healthcare, education, and disaster management. The text also covers, typically from an application-oriented perspective, advances in data science in such areas as big data collection, searching, analysis, and knowledge discovery.