Head First Data Analysis

Appendix A. Leftovers: The Top Ten Things (we didn’t cover)

You’ve come a long way.

But data analysis is a vast and constantly evolving field, and there’s so much left the learn. In this appendix, we’ll go over ten items that there wasn’t enough room to cover in this book but should be high on your list of topics to learn about next.

#1: Everything else in statistics

Statistics is a field that has a huge array of tools and technologies for data analysis. It’s so important for data analysis, in fact, that many books about “data analysis” are really statistics books.

Here is an incomplete list of the tools of statistics not covered in Head First Data Analysis.

Much of what you have learned in this book, however, has raised your awareness of deep issues involving assumptions and model-building, preparing you not only to use the tools of statistics but also to understand their limitations.

The better you know statistics, the more likely you are to do great analytical work.

#2: Excel skills

This book has assumed that you have basic spreadsheet skills, but skilled data analysts tend to be spreadsheet ninjas.

Compared to programs like R and subjects like regression, it’s not terribly hard to master Excel. And you should!

#3: Edward Tufte and his principles of visualization

Good data analysts spend a ...