The next few chapters are divided according to the kinds of dataset we will tackle in each of them. Chapter 2, Dissecting Data Using Mathematica, will introduce us to data manipulation, cleaning, and fast-accessing techniques in Mathematica. We will also learn how to use some built-in plotting and styling functions in Mathematica. Chapter 3, Time Series and Scientific Visualization, will deal with scalar field visualization, along with some time-series visualization techniques. We will learn how to create a small molecular visualization tool and a time-series explorer. In Chapter 4, Statistical and Information Visualization, we will delve into the world of information visualization. While the types of information and their visualizations are quite varied in nature, we will focus on graph and text visualization in Mathematica. We will also learn some essential statistical visualization techniques.

This chapter will teach us how to build visualization tools such as the graph layout explorer, word frequency visualizer, and interactive chord charts. Chapter 5, Maps and Aesthetics, will focus on using cartographic data to build an interactive map visualization. We will end with a brief discussion on color maps and aesthetics in visualization. My suggestion would be to read each chapter without skipping any, because techniques introduced in each chapter will be used in subsequent chapters.