Thank you for purchasing the MEAP for R in Action (3rd edition). If you picked up this book, you probably have some data that you need to collect, summarize, transform, explore, model, visualize, or present. If so, then R is for you! R has become the worldwide language for statistics, predictive analytics, and data visualization. It offers the widest range of methodologies for understanding data currently available, from the most basic to the most complex and bleeding edge.

This book should appeal to anyone who deals with data. No background in statistical programming or the R language is assumed. Although the book is accessible to novices, there should be enough new and practical material to satisfy even experienced R mavens.

There is a generally held notion that R is difficult to learn. What I hope to show you is that is doesn’t have to be. R is broad and powerful, with so many analytic and graphic functions available (more than 80,000 at last count) that it easily intimidates both novice and experienced users alike. But there is rhyme and reason to the apparent madness. With guidelines and instructions, you can navigate the tremendous resources available, selecting the tools you need to accomplish your work with style, elegance, efficiency, and certain degree of coolness.

By the end of the book, you should be able to use R to

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