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Hands-On Large Language Models

Free

Visual + practical guide to LLM applications (Jay Alammar, Maarten Grootendorst).

FreeFree tier
Type
Open Source

About Hands-On Large Language Models

Hands-On Large Language Models is a visually rich, illustrated guide by Jay Alammar and Maarten Grootendorst that teaches developers how to understand and build with LLMs. Featuring over 275 custom figures, the book covers key topics such as transformers, tokenization, semantic search, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), fine-tuning, and more. It includes practical Python code examples and labs, making it ideal for those who want to move beyond theory and apply LLMs in real-world projects.

Key Features

Over 275 custom illustrated figures
Practical Python code labs and examples
Covers transformers, tokenizers, semantic search, RAG, fine-tuning
Step-by-step explanations from basics to advanced techniques
Endorsed by industry leaders like Andrew Ng and Nils Reimers

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Highly visual approach with custom illustrations aids understanding
  • Practical hands-on code examples for immediate application
  • Comprehensive coverage from basics to advanced topics
  • Authored by well-known educators in AI (Jay Alammar and Maarten Grootendorst)
  • Endorsements from respected AI leaders

Best For

Learning LLM fundamentals and advanced techniquesBuilding LLM-powered applications with PythonUnderstanding transformer architectures and attention mechanismsImplementing retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)Fine-tuning pre-trained language models