Why learn Scala? You don't need to be a data scientist or distributed computing expert to appreciate this object-oriented functional programming language. This practical book provides a comprehensive yet approachable introduction to the language, complete with syntax diagrams, examples, and exercises. You'll start with Scala's core types and syntax before diving into higher-order functions and immutable data structures.

Author Jason Swartz demonstrates why Scala's concise and expressive syntax make it an ideal language for Ruby or Python developers who want to improve their craft,...