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The Art of R Programming--New from No Starch Press: A Complete Guide to Statistical Software Development

Press release: September 20, 2011

The Art of R Programming

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San Francisco, CA, September 20, 2011—Archaeologists use the R programming language to track the spread of ancient civilizations, drug companies use it to discover which medications are safe and effective, and actuaries use it to assess financial risks and keep economies running smoothly. R may have a tiny name, but it is a powerful tool for these and countless other industries and individuals. With the release of Norman Matloff's The Art of R Programming (No Starch Press, October 2011, 400 pp., $39.95, ISBN 9781593273842), No Starch Press makes it easier than ever for readers to harness this multifunctional language.

The Art of R Programming takes readers on a guided tour of software development with R, from basic types and data structures to advanced topics like closures, recursion, and anonymous functions. No statistical knowledge is required, and even hobbyist programmers will find the book accessible.

"Most people who use R do so in sort of a hodge-podge way—plot a graph here, calculate a standard deviation there," said No Starch Press founder Bill Pollock. "At last we have this unique book that treats R like a real programming language rather than a glorified calculator."

Along the way, readers learn about functional and object-oriented programming, and how to run mathematical simulations and rearrange complex data into simpler, more useful formats. They also learn how to:

  • Create artful graphs to visualize complex data sets and functions
  • Write more efficient code using parallel R and vectorization
  • Interface R with C/C++ and Python for increased speed and functionality
  • Find and install new R packages for text analysis, image manipulation, and more
  • Squash annoying bugs with advanced debugging techniques

Whether readers are designing aircraft, forecasting the weather, or just taming some data, The Art of R Programming is the must-have guide to harnessing the power of statistical computing with R.

For more information or to request a review copy of The Art of R Programming, contact Rachel Waner at No Starch Press (nostarchpr@oreilly.com, +1.415.863.9900, x109), or visit www.nostarch.com.

About the Author

Norman Matloff is a professor of computer science (and a former professor of statistics) at the University of California, Davis. His research interests include parallel processing and statistical regression, and he is the author of several widely used web tutorials on software development. He has written articles for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Forbes Magazine, and the Los Angeles Times, and is the co-author of The Art of Debugging (No Starch Press).

Additional Resources
Chapter 3: "Matrices and Arrays" (PDF)
Table of Contents
Detailed Table of Contents (PDF)
Index (PDF)
No Starch Press Catalog Page

The Art of R Programming The Art of R Programming
Publisher: No Starch Press
By Norman Matloff
ISBN 9781593273842, $39.95 USD
October 2011, 400 pp.
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000

Request Review copy

Available in fine bookstores everywhere, from http://www.oreilly.com/nostarch, or directly from No Starch Press (http://www.nostarch.com, orders@nostarch.com, 1-800-420-7240).

About No Starch Press
Founded in 1994, No Starch Press is one of the few remaining independent computer book publishers. We publish the finest in geek entertainment—unique books on technology, with a focus on open source, security, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, LEGO, science, and math. Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our books tackle topics that people care about. Visit http://www.nostarch.com for a complete catalog.

About O’Reilly

O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

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