Head First Data Analysis: A Learner's Guide to Big Numbers, Statistics, and Good Decisions

By Deborah J. Grider and Debra E. Hampton

Today, interpreting data is a critical decision-making factor for businesses and organizations. If your job requires you to manage and analyze all kinds of data, turn to Head First Data Analysis, where you'll quickly learn how to collect and organize data, sort the distractions from the truth, find meaningful patterns, draw conclusions, predict the future, and present your findings to others.

Whether you're a product developer researching the market viability of a new product or service, a marketing manager gauging or predicting the effectiveness of a campaign, a salesperson who needs data to support product presentations, or a lone entrepreneur responsible for all of these data-intensive functions and more, the unique approach in Head First Data Analysis is by far the most efficient way to learn what you need to know to convert raw data into a vital business tool.

You'll learn how to:

Determine which data sources to use for collecting informationAssess data quality and distinguish signal from noiseBuild basic data models to illuminate patterns, and assimilate new information into the modelsCope with ambiguous informationDesign experiments to test hypotheses and draw conclusionsUse segmentation to organize your data within discrete market groupsVisualize data distributions to reveal new relationships and persuade othersPredict the future with sampling and probability modelsClean your data to make it usefulCommunicate the results of your analysis to your audience

Using the latest research in cognitive science and learning theory to craft a multi-sensory learning experience, Head First Data Analysis uses a visually rich format designed for the way your brain works, not a text-heavy approach that puts you to sleep.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0596153937
• ISBN13: 9780596153939
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Length: 483 Pages
• Weight: 2.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 8.0" x 9.2"